Eleanor Thomas, 91, of Needham, Massachusetts, passed away on June 19, 2026, surrounded by her family. Even in her final days, she continued to share her wit and sense of humor with everyone around her.
She was born on December 22, 1934, in Logansport, Indiana. The daughter of Oren and Leona Rodabaugh, Eleanor grew up in Logansport with her older sister, Joyce Sears (d. 2002), before attending Indiana University, where she majored in English and was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and moved to New York City, a bold move for a young woman from a small Midwestern town in the 1950s, where she began her career working for a publishing company. She loved her time there —sharing an apartment with friends and taking in the city's culture and art.
She later married David Thomas in 1957 (div. 1967; d. 2026), and she greatly enjoyed living in Germany and Italy while he served in the Army following his commission from West Point. After returning to the US, they lived on Long Island and in Boston for a few years before relocating to St. Louis.
Eleanor raised two daughters on her own in St. Louis, Carol Thomas (Doug Armstrong) and Kathryn Thomas, while earning a master's degree in education from Washington University. Eleanor went on to dedicate herself to teaching, beginning in the Head Start early education program before spending many years as both an English teacher and a fourth-grade elementary school teacher, shaping the lives of countless students along the way. She was President of the Teacher’s Union and recognized by the School District of University City for her outstanding service in 1988. She chaired and served on innumerable professional development and curriculum committees, and supervised many student teachers. After she retired in 2004, she continued teaching as a tutor in a reading program, with heartfelt notes of appreciation from her students.
In her own words:
“Because of my interest in both child development and the learning process, I became an elementary school teacher. Children are our nation’s greatest resource, and teachers have a critical role to play in guiding the academic and social growth of students…Teaching is vital, challenging and most often a great pleasure. This is why I teach.”
After retiring she moved to Needham to be with her family. She was a beloved grandmother to four grandchildren: Hallie and Sarah Armstrong, and Graham and Caroline Pinti.
A lifelong lover of animals and the natural world, Eleanor volunteered for many years in her retirement at the St. Louis Zoo, where she worked in the butterfly sanctuary. She also supported numerous wildlife conservation causes throughout her life. For the past ten years, she made her home in Needham, where she loved spending time with her family and walking at the Needham Reservoir and watching the wildlife there.
Eleanor was an avid reader who took great pleasure in crossword puzzles, and she enjoyed listening to NPR and classical music.
She will be deeply missed by her family and all who knew her. She is survived by her daughters, Carol Thomas (Doug Armstrong) and Kathryn Thomas, both of Needham, her four grandchildren and three nephews, Jim (Diana Chapman), Eric (Emmy Iwata), and Will (Ja Nice) Sears.
There will be a memorial service to celebrate her life at the Theodore Parker Church, West Roxbury, Massachusetts at 11 am on Tuesday, July 14th.
Donations can be made in her memory to the local or national Audubon Society.