Eleanor V. (McKenna) Kavaleski

"Long after we are too big to carry in her arms . . . our mother carries us in her heart."

And that pretty much sums up Eleanor Kavaleski's life. She loved her children, her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren beyond measure. Eleanor's greeting always included a smile, a kind word and genuine concern for how you were doing.

She was 96 when she died at her Waltham home on Monday, January 7, 2019 following a period of declining health.

Eleanor V. McKenna was born in Concord on September 8, 1922, the oldest of seven children born to the late Edward L. and Irene A. (O'Keefe) McKenna, and moved to Waltham with her family as a child. After graduating from Waltham High School she worked for a time for New England Telephone Company.

On April 10, 1948 she married Waltham native John J. Kavaleski in Saint Mary's Church and the couple remained lifelong residents of the city. They enjoyed thirty happy years together before Lou Gehrig's disease claimed John's life in November, 1978. Throughout his illness Eleanor was his caregiver extraordinaire, cheerleader, advocate, and companion.

For more than thirty years she worked in the cafeteria at School Street Elementary and later at Central Junior High School. Ellie could always be counted on to add an extra cookie to the tray of a kid having a down day or covering out of her pocket for anyone who forgot their lunch money. Her kindness knew no boundaries.

For years she was a member of Saint Mary's Mother's Club and was a longtime Girl Scout Leader. In her later years Eleanor spent many happy summers with her family at their cottage in Harwichport.

Eleanor leaves her children, John J. Kavaleski, Jr. and his wife, Marilyn, of Marlborough, William E. Kavaleski and his wife, Marilyn "Bo", of West Roxbury, M. Ellen Langan and her husband, Kevin, of Wallingford Connecticut and Susan A. Kavaleski of Waltham; her grandchildren, Jaclyn Mattson, Melisa Kavaleski, William Kavaleski, Jr. and his wife, Julie, Jill Ryan, Kara McCourt and her husband, Patrick, Kathleen "Kate" Langan and Kristen Langan-Gudaitis, and her husband, Nerijus; her great grandchildren, Will Mattson, William Dempsey, Jack Kavaleski, Megan Kavaleski, Taryn Kavaleski, Brooke Ryan, Patrick McCourt and Magdelene "Maggie" McCourt; her sister, Dorothy I. Joyce of Waltham; her sister-in-law, Helen Kavaleski of Waltham, her brother-in-law, Donald Forster of Florida and many nieces, nephews and their families.

She was the great-grandmother of the late Charlie McCourt, and a sister of the late Margaret A. Coen, William J. McKenna, Edward L. McKenna, Jr., M. Ruth Forster and Martha E. Marinoni.

Family and friends will honor and remember Eleanor's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, January 11th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning before leaving in procession to Saint Mary's Church, 133 School Street, Waltham where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to the Herscot Center for TSC, and mailed to the Massachusetts General Hospital Development Office, Attn: K. Wojcicki, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114 or online at www.giving.massgeneral.org/donate/herscot