Eleanor (Canavan) Hill

CHEBEAGUE ISLAND -- Eleanor (Ellie) Canavan Hill, 94, of Chebeague Island, passed from this life, to the next on Sunday March 11, 2012 at the Island Commons on Chebeague. She was born on July 31, 1917 in Portland, the daughter of Ellen Hall and Joseph P. Canavan. She was the eldest and last survivor of five children. She was educated at Cummings School and graduated from Portland High School in 1935. After raising her family, she attended Northeastern University in Boston where she received a Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 1967.

In September of 1935 she married Franklin (Frankie) M. Hill of Chebeague Island, and together they had three daughters, making their first home on Chebeague before settling in Malden, Mass. Frankie predeceased her in 1968. Ellie was very active in Girl Scouting, including representing the local council at a jamboree in Bogota, Columbia. She was first employed as a sales clerk at W.T. Grants, and went on to become Secretary to the President at First National Bank of Malden. After retiring, 'Miss Ellie' served as secretary at her daughter's dance studio where she performed with the adult tap and jazz dance group until the age of 80. In 1999, Eleanor again retired, this time to Chebeague where she was active in the Ladies Aid, group exercise at the Island Commons and golf.

Eleanor is survived by her three daughters, Sandra Rice and her husband Malcolm of Chebeague Island and Tortola, Susan West and her husband Richard of Kennebunkport, Rochelle McDonald of North Andover, Mass.; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a large extended family and cadre of friends.
Visiting hours will be Thursday March 15 from 4 - 7 p.m. at Lindquist Funeral Home, One Mayberry Lane, Yarmouth. Burial will be later this spring on Chebeague Island.

Please visit www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to share your condolences, memories and tributes with Eleanor's family.

For those who wish, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made
in Eleanor's memory to:
Island Commons
132 Littlefield Road
Chebeague Island, ME 04017