Eleanor Gitt Taylor, 102, Little Compton

Posted 9/8/20

On August 28, 2020, Eleanor Gitt Taylor died peacefully at the age of 102.  She was born on March 17, 1918, in Hanover, Penn., the daughter of Josiah William Gitt and Elizabeth Moul Gitt.  …

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Eleanor Gitt Taylor, 102, Little Compton

Posted

On August 28, 2020, Eleanor Gitt Taylor died peacefully at the age of 102.  She was born on March 17, 1918, in Hanover, Penn., the daughter of Josiah William Gitt and Elizabeth Moul Gitt.   

After graduating from the Walnut Hill School in 1936 (President of the Alumnae Association, 1960-1962) and Mount Holyoke College in 1940, she married C. George Taylor on April 19, 1941.  The two were married for almost 59 years, until George’s death in 2000.

George’s work in radio broadcasting brought them to what was then Rumford, R.I., in 1947. In the 1950’s Ellie was active in the League of Women Voters, serving as the local president for two years.  During that time she and others spearheaded a drive to create a charter for East Providence (including Rumford) to make it a city. She considered this to be an important accomplishment in her life. In 1957, the family moved to Providence.

When George retired from broadcasting at the age of 39, Ellie decided that she would work. To that end she earned a Master’s Degree in Teaching from Brown University in 1964, followed by a decade of teaching high school French, mostly at the Lincoln School.  She capped off her teaching career with more than two decades of pro bono tutoring of students from Hope High School.

She was the athlete in the family.  A life-long golfer, she won the Women’s Golf Championship at various times at Sakonnet Golf Club, the Agawam Hunt Club, and Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island as well as three golf clubs in central Pennsylvania.  She won the RI Women’s Senior Championship three times and was the runner-up to Betty June Bobel in the 1958 RI State Women’s Golf Championship.  In 1953 she made it to the second round of the USGA Women’s Amateur Championship.  Perhaps her greatest golf accomplishment was playing 18 holes of golf on her 90th birthday, surpassing her father who played his final round at age 89.

Her other important recreation was bridge.  She played contract and duplicate bridge avidly.  Ultimately she was the transportation provider, driving herself and her friends to many such events.  Bridge and driving came to an abrupt halt when she had a serious stroke a month after turning 90.

She and George loved to travel.  They went on many trips to Europe, and then to Asia and South America.  They took the family to Florence, Italy, for a school year in 1958-1959 and returned for another academic year when they became empty-nesters.  When teaching, they spent several summers studying in Royan and Tours, France.  Their travel often included Italy and France because they were both fluent in both languages. 

She was a member of Alliance Francaise, the Wednesday Club, RISD Museum Associates and the Pot and Porcelain Club. 

She was pre-deceased by her three siblings, her husband and her daughter, Susan Taylor Menges.  She is survived by her sons, Carson (Dede) and Tom (Caroline); nine grandchildren, two step grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren.

There will be a virtual family memorial soon and an internment of her ashes in the summer of 2021. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island or the Museum of the Rhode Island School of Design.

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