ELEANORE L. (TABERSKI) BRENNAN

Eleanore Louise Taberski Brennan July 25, 1933 - Oct. 3, 2015 SUNNYVALE, CA - Eleanore Louise Taberski Brennan was welcomed to eternal life Oct. 3, 2015. Born July 25, 1933, in South Bend, IN, to Henry Joseph and Florence Barczykowski Taberski, Eleanore was the third of four children, including Henry Stephen, Loretta Margaret & "Frankie" Michael. Eleanore grew up around the family's butcher shop located on South Bend's Western Ave. Smoked meats and Polish sausage were the specialty. The experience forever influenced menus and provided a link to her heritage.

A 1951 graduate of South Bend's Washington High, Eleanore enjoyed school and was a good student. Her senior yearbook remembered Eleanore as "a member of more clubs than Carter's has pills."

After graduation, she went to work at South Bend's Business and Technical Library. It was there she almost met her future husband, Peter M. Brennan. To hear Dad tell it, when he first saw Mom, he was mesmerized. Respectfully, he approached the Head Librarian, who he knew to be most helpful, to request a proper introduction. Library silence went unobserved in that moment, when Madame Librarian, in her most mother bear tone, growled an unequivocal "NO!" Apparently unafraid of bears, Dad's opportunity at introduction came a few days later when he discovered Mom waiting for her bus ride home from the library. Their courtship was long, the engagement short, and the rest as they say, delivered seven children and 61 anniversaries. When baby number seven arrived within nine years, the attending physician informed Eleanore that John would be the caboose in her train. Eleanore's childrearing recipe called for intuition in moderation, with a dash of Dr. Spock. It went something like, train the older ones to behave. And then, with some Luck of the Irish, the rest would fall into line. Dad stood by, ever ready as the enforcer. Yet, Mom was perfectly capable of executing The LOOK to dispel any failures to communicate. It worked. Mom's Pacific Coast train stayed on track. Eleanore was committed to raising her family.

The core values that Eleanore instilled in her children reflected her Catholic faith. For more than fifty years, she was a parishioner at St. Lawrence the Martyr in Santa Clara. She knew her path and walked the walk in a life of service. She had few equals as a volunteer, serving as a lector during Mass, working in the church office and supporting the CCD program. Eleanore said she was most proud of her children, from whom she derived joy. As a young family, excursions routinely included trips to the Sunnyvale library, piquing curiosity, fostering discovery and a sense of accomplishment in learning. Eleanore encouraged each of her children to make choices and accept responsibility for them. She was wise to know that their pursuit of happiness included becoming their genuine selves, which could not be separated from the Golden Rule. She also knew her children's life experiences would not come entirely from predictable sources.

Eleanore's interests were wide ranging, as would be her children's. She believed in scouting, newspaper routes and summer enrichment programs, all of which taught lessons beyond the classroom. It helped immeasurably to live in a wonderful Sunnyvale neighborhood of families, brimming with kids who became friends. Eventually, when grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived, there would be countless opportunities for Eleanore to witness and share in the next generation's wonders. Eleanore also enjoyed a long career with Santa Clara Unified School District, happy doing work she believed in. For a time, Eleanore's children found it difficult, if not downright impossible to be late or miss a class, with their mom working in the attendance office! The District offered even more opportunities for Eleanore to serve as a volunteer. This included PTA and CSEA. For years,

Eleanore was an audience regular at School Board meetings, able to recount meeting details, as if from a stenographer's notepad. Eleanore is predeceased by her parents, her brother, Frankie, and daughter, Lisa Brennan Holloway. She is survived by husband Peter and children, Tim (Rebecca), Kevin (Karen), Dion (Catherine), Dan (Yelena), Loretta Brennan Baxter and John (Christine). Her grandchildren include Erin (Justin), Corey, Kearsten (Kyle), Austyn, Katie, Max, Amanda, Katelin (Nathan), Brett, Larissa, James, Benjamin, Hannah (Ben), Matthew and Joseph. Eleanore's two great-grandsons, Skyler and Teddy, celebrated first birthdays in September.

Mom, you led with your heart. Now, with yours, ours are broken. Thank You "Love Ya Lots!"

Arrangements by Spangler Mortuary, Sunnyvale, CA, 408-736-6294 (www.spanglermortuary.com). A visitation will be held at Spangler Mortuary, 174 N. Sunnyvale Ave., Sunnyvale, CA, Monday, October 12, from 5 to 8 p.m. Recitation of the Rosary will be held on Tuesday, October 13, at 10:00 am, followed by the Funeral Mass at 11 a.m. at Saint Lawrence the Martyr, 1971 Saint Lawrence Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95051. Private burial at Fernwood Cemetery in Mill Valley, CA.

Published by South Bend Tribune from Oct. 10 to Oct. 11, 2015

03/27/2023 EJS

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/southbendtribune/name/eleanore-brennan-obituary?id=12733782