Eleanor Barrett Montgomery

Thursday, 05 November 2009 10:35

Eleanor Andrews Barrett Montgomery, known to her friends as “Nunnie,” died October 28. She was 93.

Born in Augusta, Ga., on January 4, 1916, she was the daughter of Leonard Lovering Barrett and Stamford notable, Dean Andrews Barrett Halliwell. Mrs. Montgomery spent most of her life in Stamford, and also spent every summer at Lake Sunapee, N.H., where her grandfather had built a cottage on an island.

She attended Miss Paxton’s School in Stamford and, in 1936, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University. In 1938, she married Giles Newton Montgomery. They lived in North Stamford, where they raised their three children — Giles Barrett Montgomery, Marshall Dean Montgomery of Stamford and Anne Barrett Montgomery of New York City and Sunapee N.H.

Mrs. Montgomery was active in her community, serving on school and town committees and volunteering at Stamford Hospital for 70 consecutive years, accumulating almost 9,000 hours, said her familly. She also volunteered for the Stamford-Norwalk Junior League, championing women’s issues.

In the 1920s, Mrs. Montgomery’s mother started a ballroom dance school. For many years, Mrs. Montgomery and her sister Maydee Rogers assisted their mother with classes. The sisters were also lifelong tennis and bridge partners, said her family.

In 1970, the Montgomerys moved to Dolphin Cove, a nautical community on Long Island Sound, developed by Mr. Montgomery and their son Barry.

“She found joy in creating beautiful gardens and was well known as an accomplished bridge and ardent tennis player,” said her family. “She loved being involved in the lives of her eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her friendly, kind, gracious and altruistic spirit.”

Mrs. Montgomery is survived by her children and their descendants. She was predeceased by her husband.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 14, at the Dolphin Cove Pavilion, Stamford. Arrangements will be handled by the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home of Hanover, N.H.

Memorial donations may be made to the Duke University Trinity College, Box 90581, Durham, NC 27708-0581, or the Stamford Hospital Foundation for Volunteer Resources, 1351 Washington Blvd. Suite 202, Stamford, CT 06902, or The Lake Sunapee Protective Association (P.O. Box 683, Sunapee, NH 03782).