Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Eleanor Clair Sutton Spotts was reunited with her eternal sweetheart on February 14, 2019. The world has lost one of its best dinner party hostesses. Eleanor was born in Dearborn, Michigan on “nine-twenty-nine-twenty-nine,” as she liked to recall whenever she was asked her birth date.
She spent her early childhood summers on family farms in West Virginia, where she developed a life-long love of horses. At age 14 Eleanor and her family moved to Pleasant Grove, Utah. Eleanor’s high school years were spent at “good ol’ P.G. high,” where Eleanor was a banner carrier for the band, member of the Pep Club, chairperson for Junior Prom, and a cheerleader.
She fondly remembers her many outstanding teachers: Mr. Richards (Chemistry), Mr. Rogers (Math), Mr. Miles (Typing) and Miss Fenton (English). Eleanor was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through her high school friend Ann Alene Jacobs, and soon thereafter Eleanor joined the Church, of which she remained faithful until her final day on earth. Ann Alene has remained a lifelong friend.
In October of 1950, while working as a secretary at Geneva Steel, at the suggestion of a valued co-worker, Eleanor packed up her suitcase and headed off to the Braun House, a woman’s boarding house in Los Angeles, California. The next few years in LA included dating boys from Beverly Hills, activity in the Wilshire Ward, working in the typing pool at Standard Oil (Chevron), and a 1937 Chevy convertible named Rufus. Again, Eleanor made many lifelong friendships with the lovely ladies boarding at the Braun House.
While living in Los Angeles, Eleanor met the love of her life, John. They were married for 64 years. Eleanor and John spent the early years of their marriage traversing the western coast of the U.S.A., as John began his career with Standard Oil as a geologist.
They purchased their first home in Fullerton, CA and started raising their 3 sons while living iin southern California. In 1971 the family moved to northern California (Walnut Creek). Eleanor’s life as a corporate wife in Walnut Creek involved making many more friends and being a true and loyal neighbor.
Birthday lunches, dinner parties, and celebratory holiday affairs were Eleanor’s crowning moments, culminating in authoring a cookbook of compiled recipes titled “What Shall I Serve? ” A party hosting ‘manual’ with recipes in menu format, from breakfast brunches, to outdoor picnics, to dinner parties for the husband’s boss (praise the culinary gods for Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup! ).
Travels around the world with family and friends created joyful memories for Eleanor and John. Trips to the Hawaiian Islands, to the Fijian Islands, and the Greek Islands (Mykonos being her favorite), created fond recollections for Eleanor. New Zealand, Hong Kong, and Singapore were favorite places where Eleanor loved to experience new cultures, new places, and meet new friends.
Trips to Palmyra, NY, and Nauvoo to see good friends Bob and Orlinda Mower who were serving a mission in Nauvoo, were other traveling highlights. In the 1990s Eleanor and John had a trip planned to rural China, when a friend told Eleanor to remember to bring her funnel, Eleanor immediately cancelled those vacation plans – she wasn’t going to have any of ‘that’. In 1982, after raising three sons, Eleanor was blessed with her first grandchild – a girl!
She showered her with gifts and affection. Eleanor was blessed with 7 more grandchildren, and joyously became a great-grandmother in 2015. She adored her grandchildren and adorable great-granddaughter, Brooklyn, of Austin, TX.
At the time of her passing she was looking forward to the imminent arrival of two more great-grandchildren, twins, one a forthcoming great-granddaughter is to be named London Clair – in Eleanor’s honor. Eleanor is survived by her sons, Craig (Tish, Austin, TX), Ron (Shelli, Orem), and David (John, Plymouth, MN). Eight grandchildren, Nicole (Josh, Austin, TX), Emily, Carly, Mack (Plymouth, MN), and Channing, Evie, Ryder, and Sutton (Orem, UT).
The Spotts family would like to offer their sincere gratitude to the amazingly kind, loving, and compassionate people at Legacy Village Assisted Living, especially the remarkable and competent CNAs, who lovingly and tenderly cared for John and Eleanor during their final years. Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 23, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in the Olpin Family Mortuary Chapel, 494 South 300 East, Pleasant Grove where family and friends may attend a viewing from 9:30 – 10:45 a.m. prior to the services. Interment will be in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www. olpinmortuary.com.
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