Northampton, MA – Elinor (Ellie), 85, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2026, surrounded by her family. She was born on January 9, 1941, and spent her childhood in Williamsburg, a place that remained special to her throughout her life. She later made her home in Northampton, where she built a life centered around family, friends, and community.
She worked as an administrative assistant at Leeds Elementary School and Kollmorgen Corporation, where she spent many years.
Ellie was predeceased by her husband, Charles Dole, her parents, Walter and Helen Leonard, and her brother Russ Leonard. She leaves behind her daughters, Karen Sullivan and her husband Dennis, and Laurie Colpoys and her husband Tim; her grandchildren Griffin (Elizabeth), Olivia (Malcolm), Alex (Ivy), and Jack (Jess); and her great grandchildren Quinn, Mabel, Parker, and Penelope.
Her greatest joy was her family. She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother who always found ways to make those she loved feel special. Whether through thoughtful gestures, little surprises, or remembering every occasion, she never missed an opportunity to let her family know how much they meant to her. No holiday, big or small, passed without a card and a special handwritten note inside. It was one of the many ways she shared her love, and a tradition her family will always treasure.
Known for her exceptionally kind and warm nature, Ellie touched the lives of many. An avid reader, she enjoyed sharing her love of books with others. She volunteered at the Hospice Shop, read to children at Forbes Library, and more recently enjoyed reading to preschoolers at the People’s Institute.
Ellie also enjoyed bowling in a league and treasured the friendships that came with it. Fittingly, she enjoyed one last day of bowling with her friends the day before she passed.
Ellie leaves behind many friends and a family who will forever be grateful for her unconditional love, thoughtfulness, and the countless ways she made life a little more special for those around her.
She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.
Calling hours will be held on Monday, November 16, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. at Czelusniak Funeral Home in Northampton A memorial service will immediately follow at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either of the following programs: ParentChild+ Program – Early Childhood Center.
Checks should be made payable to Northampton Public Schools, with PC+ written in the memo line. Mail donations to: Early Childhood c/o Jackson Street School, 120 Jackson Street Northampton, MA 01060.
Donations may also be made in memory of the deceased to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Please go to Czelusniakfuneralhome.com for online condolences and tribute book.
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