After a brief illness, Eleanor Boden passed away on August 10, 2009 at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, B.C. She will be deeply missed by her husband of 52 years, Lloyd Boden, numerous family members and friends, and her devoted dog Sasha.
Eleanor was pre-deceased by her parents, Allen and Suzie Burke, her sister Mildred Reid and her brother William Burke.
Eleanor was born in Winnipeg on November 5, 1934 and was very proud of the fact that she and Lloyd were born on the same day at the same hospital. Their mothers had side-by-side beds and Eleanor was born eight minutes after Lloyd. Fate brought Lloyd and Eleanor together when they reconnected as teenagers and then were married in 1956.
Eleanor began her career with the Manitoba Telephone System as a Long Distance Operator, later working at head office as a Routes/Rates Supervisor. She left MTS to work as a secretary at Royal Dairies Ltd. where she worked side by side with Lloyd. In 1968 Eleanor became employed with Ruttan Development Corp., which later became Shelter Corp. She held numerous positions including Leasing Agent, National Sales Manager and eventually Property Manager. Eleanor retired from Shelter Corp. in 1994 after 26 years with the company.
In 1995, Eleanor and Lloyd purchased their retirement home in Qualicum Beach in B.C. where they spent many happy years together. Throughout the years, Eleanor and Lloyd travelled extensively including Europe and Hawaii and their favourite destination, Barbados, which they visited 38 times. They made many friends during their travels.
Eleanor had a wonderful sense of humour and an infectious giggle. She had impeccable taste in decorating and a flair for fashion and managed to look elegant even when dressed for gardening. Eleanor loved reading, nature and most of all, her home life. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends and often entertained visitors at their home.
In lieu of flowers and in keeping with Eleanor’s love for animals, donations may be made in her memory to the BC SPCA - Parksville - Qualicum Beach Branch.