It is with great sadness that we announce our beautiful Eleanor passed away peacefully at home on January 20, 2022 at the age of 62 after a brief, but heroic fight against Ovarian Cancer. Eleanor is survived by her mother Eleonore Fischer, her brothers, Michael and Carl, her beloved children Peter and Emily and their spouses Roxanne and Adam, and many Aunts, Uncles and cousins in Germany.

Eleanor was born in Toronto to hard-working immigrant parents, Hans-Jorg and Eleonore Fischer, and grew up in the Davenport area. In grade six, Eleanor moved with her family to Don Mills, where she would later return to plant her roots. Throughout high school, Eleanor discovered her love of art, fashion, and music – she even had an opportunity to record a 45 with her band, Sunrise. Star of the volleyball and swim teams, Eleanor was well-known for her witty sense of humour, hearty laugh, deep blue eyes, and warm smile. Many life-long friendships were born in the halls of DMCI.

Throughout her life, Eleanor held many careers. After studying food sciences at the University of Toronto, Eleanor landed her first job as a food chemist at Staffords Foods. Living in the Bluffs at the time, Eleanor would take the streetcar all the way across the city to Liberty Village. Recently Eleanor reflected on her professional accomplishments at such a young age, such as becoming a manager and having a dedicated parking spot with her name!

Always caring and nurturing, Eleanor then moved to her second career as a stay-at-home mom. For 10 years, Eleanor devoted her time to raising her children – taking them to library programs, organizing crafts, field trips, games, activities, and being an active member of parent council. During these years she was able to introduce her children to many of the hobbies they still enjoy today.

Finally, Eleanor became an elementary school teacher – something she had always wanted to do. After juggling two young kids at home while studying part time to get through teacher’s college, Eleanor enjoyed over two decades of teaching at Crestview Public School, before retiring this past April. There she had the pleasure of teaching hundreds of students, sharing her brilliance with so many while bringing her creativity and passion to designing interactive lessons and hands-on experiments. She dressed up as characters such as Ms. S. T. Ructure, Mrs. Claus, Postman Pat, and many others to make learning more fun and engaging for her students. She also shared many of her personal passions, bringing the school courtyard to life and integrating gardening into her lessons, leading the school choir, writing songs for retired teachers, and sharing her love of art and interior design by adding homey touches to the classroom.

Outside of her careers, Eleanor always had a project on the go. Whether it was spending hours in her garden, redoing her hardwood floors, renovating her bathroom or kitchen, redecorating a room in her house, or converting her garage into an outdoor living room where she could connect safely with friends. When she wasn’t busy with a task, Eleanor enjoyed knitting blankets for friends and family, making homemade cards, listening to Jazz (often at the Rex or Reservoir lounge), scouring the racks at Winners for the perfect outfit pieces, finding hidden gems at local consignment shops, and singing in her My Pop Choir. Above all, Eleanor loved connecting with friends and family – whether in person or on the phone. Eleanor was a great listener and even better at giving advice. She always knew just what to say.

Eleanor had a big personality and an even bigger laugh. Her legacy will live on in our memories and the many lives she touched.

While we wait to see what the next phase of COVID restrictions will be, we welcome you to share your memories and photos here.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please donate to Ovarian Cancer Canada.