Eleanor Queen (Smith) French, age 89, of Nashua, New Hampshire, formerly of Beverly Hills, Florida and Reading, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at the Wingate Nursing Residence in Reading on January 10, 2016. She was the devoted mother of Craig Chase and his wife Jean of Lindenhurst, NY, Kimberly (Chase) Foley of Woburn, MA, Tracy (Parisian) Harmon of Nashua, NH, Brett Wood of Lowell, MA, Todd Wood of Manchester, NH, Gordon French and his long time companion Susan Johnston of Nashua, NH, and Glenn French of Nashua, NH, sister of Stephanie (Smith) Barry and her husband Carlton of Chelmsford, MA, cherished grandmother of 16 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. Eleanor was the widow of Walter S. French, a World War II veteran, and member of the VFW in Saugus and Reading. She was predeceased by her parents Harriette and Robert Smith, her sister Norma (Smith) MacBrien, and her brothers Robert and Douglas Smith. She is also survived by many loving relatives and friends.
Widowed three times in her lifetime, Eleanor worked tirelessly to support herself and her seven children. For many years she worked as a secretary for Dana Bartlett Insurance Agency in Reading, from time to time a cocktail waitress at the Stardust Lounge in North Reading, she managed the soda fountain at Winslow's in Reading in the 1960's, and she owned and managed the European Bakery in Reading until she moved to Florida in 1981. Never without a job, while in Florida she managed a convenience store and delivered papers for the St. Petersburg Times. After returning to Massachusetts in 1988, she went to work for the Department of Defense as a civilian employee of the Air Force until she retired in 2000. Her devotion to her family was endless and she did what was necessary to keep the family together. In addition to work, Eleanor somehow managed to find the time to organize the Reading VFW Youth Bowling League in 1978, and volunteer to be a Den Mother for several of her sons Boy Scout troops. Everyone who knew Eleanor loved her. No matter her life circumstances, she always put a smile on your face with her wit and candor. Eleanor enjoyed reading mystery novels, solving crossword and word search puzzles, playing Bingo, listening to swing music, and bowling. She also enjoyed watching television, especially crime shows, and was an avid fan of Wheel of Fortune. She will be dearly missed by all who loved her. A celebration of Eleanor's life will be held on February 20th at 3pm at the Christ Church United, 180 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA 01851. We welcome all who wish to remember her remarkable life. Donations in her memory may be made to the American Cancer Society 30 Speen St. Framingham, MA 01701 or the charity of your choice.