Obituaries

In Memoriam: Rumsonite Eleanor Raemsch, 97

Rumson resident Eleanore Andree Raemsch, wife of the late Henry A. Raemsch, passed away peacefully in her Rumson home on Nov. 1, “surrounded by family and enveloped in love.” She was 97.

Eleanore was formerly a longtime resident of Montclair and Omaha, NE.

“Eleanore loved music, she loved to sing and dance and she had joie de vivre. She was kind and complimentary to all those she encountered. She delivered food to the elderly with Meals on Wheels. She hosted many monthly French book club evenings at her home in Rumson. If one measures a life in terms of love, then Eleanore was very rich. She was loved by so many and with her passing there will be a bit less color, richness, and joy. Eleanore was the center of her family. She was not a celebrity by usual standards, but she was our celebrity. She was beautiful, chic, charming, worldly, smart, entertaining and flirtatious. Young and old would seek out her company just to hear the stories of her exotic life and her adventures … how she would play as a child in the gardens of Versailles … the lessons she gleaned in the fine art of Haute Couture while working alongside her mother in a Paris Boutique … and how she once charmed a Spanish bullfighter with her flirtatious ways.

At age 97 she was still the ‘doyenne’ of style and fashion. She read the New York Times everyday and stayed abreast of current events and was “au courant” with the fashion and design scene. Her children and grandchildren valued her opinions on style in general. She had as the French say that ‘Je ne sais quoi,’
a quality that cannot be described.”

Loved ones of Eleanor Raemsch in her obituary

Born in Paris, France, Eleanore came to the United States from Barcelona, Spain in 1951 at the age of 25. With her ability to speak three languages, French, Spanish and English her skills were quickly discovered and she was snapped up by Pan American Airlines as an interpreter and flight attendant. This is where she met and married the handsome young Army Officer, Henry Raemsch.

“Theirs was a love story of nearly 70 years. They raised five children: daughters, Denise Raemsch, Jennifer Raemsch-Tracy, Sandra Duff, Lisa Garsman and Andrew Raemsch. They had 10 grandchildren: Dominique, Danielle, Devin, William, Phillip, Alexandra, Morgan, Tyler, Ian and Ethan.”

While raising her family, Eleanore tutored French and Spanish privately and taught French at Lacordaire Parochial School in Upper Montclair. She worked in several small clothing boutiques throughout her life and was a member of the Alliance Francaise.

A viewing will be held at John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank, New Jersey on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 2 to 4 p.m.

— Edited obituary prepared by family via John E. Day Funeral Home