Deceased November 1, 2021
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In Memory
Born June 16, 1968, in Philadelphia, El spent freshman year in South 210, rooming with Susan Haney ’89, next door to Debby Applegate ’89 and Sharmi Jacoby Bracklo ’89 and diagonally across from Sarah (Thomas) Maldonado ’89 and Charlotte Walker Cannon ’89. Most of them lived together over the next three years in Pond, Crossett and Moore. Eleanor was a religion major and a leader among her peers at Amherst, including of the then-underground Alpha Delta Phi, of which she was elected president senior year.
She met her husband while living briefly in the Amherst area after graduation. They married on June 13, 1992, and had two amazing, compassionate and talented children. Her large, entertaining family was the cornerstone of her life, and their joy was her joy.
Eleanor enjoyed a long and varied language teaching career, including at Greenwood Friends School, Danville Area School District, Upward Bound and the TRiO program at Bloomsburg University and Pennsylvania College of Technology. She earned an M.A. in TESOL and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from Penn State, where she researched teachers’ use of music to teach languages.
Eleanor loved traveling, but a thriving life home on the farm was even more important to her, and she rejoiced in her dogs, cat, chickens and gardens. Eleanor canned and froze produce, quilted, sewed and wired her own house. She asks those who knew her to please eat some homemade jam, play some music and take care of each other.
Survivors include her beloved husband of 29 years, John Sweeney; her father, John Leggett (Joan); her mother, Cynthia Palmer (Larry); a son, Ian Sweeney (Elizabeth Richards); a daughter, Kathryn Sweeney-Amidon (James Amidon); sister Susan Leggett (Denny Robinson); sister Carrie Leggett (Dave Pangburn); a brother, John Leggett; and extended family and friends.
Bruce Tulgan ’89