In Memory of Eleanor by Jane Houck and Joanne Zarling

Eleanor Logue, a long time resident of Nutmeg Terrace died on

April 8, 2009 after a six month battle with cancer. Eleanor was 70 and had lived a life dedicated to others. She had been a nun with the order of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, an order dedicated to education and charitable work across the world. She completed a PhD in English literature and taught and lived in Japan for some years. She left the convent, but continued to work in the area of education. While we knew her here in Coldspring, she was a fund-raiser for the Trinity School in Ellicott City. This private primary/middle school is sponsored by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Eleanor was very successful in her role and retired from Trinity last summer. She had just started fund-raising for another school last fall when she became ill.

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Here in Coldspring we all remember Eleanor walking with her dogs and looking for homes for stray cats. Her first dog was a foundling. Many years ago people used to drop off dogs they didnt want, in Cylburn Park. Of course the dogs would get hungry and wander into our community looking for food. If they were friendly, such dogs usually found a home. Frankie, was such a dog. She was a mixed breed with a friendly disposition. Eleanor trained Frankie in Agility, a special program of jumping and running. Frankie competed in special competitions with some success. Eventually Eleanor adopted Chelsea, a sheep dog with great skill for Agility challenges. Haley was a small terrier who also found her way to Eleanors heart. We would see Eleanor in the early morning struggling to get her dogs through the task of the morning walk before she left for work. Frankie was aging and the younger dogs were sometimes impatient, but Eleanor managed them all with great caring. She had an endless parade of cats that came through her house. Everyone knew that Eleanor could find homes for cats. She worked in a school with lots of families with young children! People gave her cats and kittens. She had such a soft heart she would even work to catch the wild cats in our community and tame them so that they too could go to a good family.

 

Eleanor was active in the community. When Coldspring had a volunteer security patrol, COPS, she was a regular driver and rider patrolling the streets and garages with another neighbor volunteer. She always attended the Nutmeg Terrace/Sorrel Court desserts and welcomed new residents and chatted with old friends. She was well known among the dog owners and was frequently found at the pool in the summer months.

 

Eleanor will be missed by many people. Here in Coldspring her very good friend and neighbor, Joanne Zarling will miss her a lot. Eleanor and Joanne shared their love of cats and enjoyment in life. They visited each other daily and Joanne was wonderful support as Eleanor needed more help in the last few months. Eleanor had many friends among the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and the families of Trinity School. A memorial service was held at the school soon after her death. On Nutmeg Terrace we got to know her sister, Miriam and her brother-in-law, John as they came and went from New Haven, Connecticut. They were a quietly loving family. All the Nutmeg Terrace/Sorrel Court neighbors shared in our memorial at our deck dessert in May and some spoke of their memories of this interesting and caring neighbor.

 

Jane Houck and Joanne Zarling

 

This is a poem written by Eleanor shortly before her death.

LIFE

There are times to embrace life

With wild abandonment

Arms outstretched

Rushing head-on into the throes

Hoisting it high

And watching it flutter like a kite

Going with the flow.

And there are times

To sit on the bleachers

And watch your life

Play out on the field

Win some, lose some

Strike out, score

But no time outs.