Elinor Fredston died at home in Larchmont, New York on New Year’s Day, 2026, as sunset illuminated the harbor, hundreds of geese circled overhead, and her family held her close. She packed enormous love and meaning into her 97 years.
Ellie was raised in Chicago by her mother, Tess Abrahamson, and much elder brother, Hal, who stepped in for the father she lost as a toddler. At 17, Ellie enrolled at the University of Michigan, where she majored in economics and met another freshman, 16-year-old Arthur Fredston, with whom she would share the next 74 years. Married in 1951, they had three daughters. When the youngest started school, Ellie returned to earn a master’s degree in elementary education from Sarah Lawrence College and New York University.
Ellie defined community “not just as the place where we live, but as the place we learn to live responsibly and fully.” In the mid-1950s, she co-founded a recreational program for special-needs young adults in Westchester. When Ellie and Art bought their first house in Rye, NY, she threw herself into parent-teacher organizations, led a Girl Scout troop, and founded a League of Women Voters chapter.
In 1968, Ellie and Art moved to a small island in Larchmont that became their haven. Immediately, Ellie joined an effort to start local recycling. Ellie served on more than ten key environmental boards, often as chair, including the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County. She took particular satisfaction in helping develop an areawide coastal zone management plan. In the early 1970s, Ellie was part of the fight against Con Edison’s proposed nuclear power plant on tiny Davids Island in New Rochelle. She stayed actively engaged with land use planning, with an eye for detail and sensitivity to the impact of light pollution.
Remaining passionate about education, Ellie worked as a substitute teacher and college administrator before becoming the financial aid planning advisor at Mamaroneck High School. Her force-of-nature advocacy often resulted in full scholarships. She loved working with the Student Aid Fund, which has made college more feasible for thousands. Ellie also championed adult learning opportunities through the Center for Continuing Education.
Ellie served as a CASA volunteer (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children, managed a storefront narcotics counseling program, and matched students with summer jobs. Compelled to act after 9/11, she commuted into Lower Manhattan to help prepare meals for rescue workers. A longtime leader of the Friends of the Larchmont Library, Ellie cherished the library as a center of community, remembering with pride how it extended operating hours during Hurricane Sandy to provide much-needed heat, power, and food.
Believing that “the key to remaining independent as a senior is to stay connected to others, both young and old,” Ellie was a principal founder of At Home on the Sound in 2010. As part of the non-profit’s mission to help seniors age in place and remain engaged, Ellie initiated a twice-monthly lecture series. A master networker, she assembled a remarkable slate of pro bono speakers, offering more than 300 programs over 15 years. Topics ranged widely from the war in Ukraine to chocolate therapy.
Ellie’s universe centered around family. The consummate matriarch, she spun a web where all generations felt embraced, seen, and supported. Similarly, her many friendships were deep and enduring. If Ellie didn’t know you, she wanted to. Likely, she already knew your cousin or somebody she thought you should connect with. Extensive travel to all seven continents nourished her boundless curiosity. Ellie loved to read, explore museums, see plays, exercise, garden, swim in Long Island Sound, and entertain with elegance. Ever attuned to current events, she protested just weeks before her death with a sign declaring, “I didn’t live this long to watch democracy die.”
Diagnosed with advanced cancer in 1997 and given three months to live, Ellie outlived her prognosis by nearly thirty years. The challenge amplified her grit, energy, zest for life, and generosity. Widowed in 2019, Ellie is survived by her daughters; Dale, Susan, and Jill, their spouses, and a precious trove of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In honor of Ellie, contributions may be made to The Elinor and Arthur Fredston Scholarship Fund at the Mamaroneck Larchmont Student Aid Fund (mlstudentaidfund.org). A celebration of Ellie’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on May 30 at the Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
Ellie was raised in Chicago by her mother, Tess Abrahamson, and much elder brother, Hal, who stepped in for the father she lost as a toddler. At 17, Ellie enrolled at the University of Michigan, where she majored in economics and met another freshman, 16-year-old Arthur Fredston, with whom she would share the next 74 years. Married in 1951, they had three daughters. When the youngest started school, Ellie returned to earn a master’s degree in elementary education from Sarah Lawrence College and New York University.
Ellie defined community “not just as the place where we live, but as the place we learn to live responsibly and fully.” In the mid-1950s, she co-founded a recreational program for special-needs young adults in Westchester. When Ellie and Art bought their first house in Rye, NY, she threw herself into parent-teacher organizations, led a Girl Scout troop, and founded a League of Women Voters chapter.
In 1968, Ellie and Art moved to a small island in Larchmont that became their haven. Immediately, Ellie joined an effort to start local recycling. Ellie served on more than ten key environmental boards, often as chair, including the Federated Conservationists of Westchester County. She took particular satisfaction in helping develop an areawide coastal zone management plan. In the early 1970s, Ellie was part of the fight against Con Edison’s proposed nuclear power plant on tiny Davids Island in New Rochelle. She stayed actively engaged with land use planning, with an eye for detail and sensitivity to the impact of light pollution.
Remaining passionate about education, Ellie worked as a substitute teacher and college administrator before becoming the financial aid planning advisor at Mamaroneck High School. Her force-of-nature advocacy often resulted in full scholarships. She loved working with the Student Aid Fund, which has made college more feasible for thousands. Ellie also championed adult learning opportunities through the Center for Continuing Education.
Ellie served as a CASA volunteer (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children, managed a storefront narcotics counseling program, and matched students with summer jobs. Compelled to act after 9/11, she commuted into Lower Manhattan to help prepare meals for rescue workers. A longtime leader of the Friends of the Larchmont Library, Ellie cherished the library as a center of community, remembering with pride how it extended operating hours during Hurricane Sandy to provide much-needed heat, power, and food.
Believing that “the key to remaining independent as a senior is to stay connected to others, both young and old,” Ellie was a principal founder of At Home on the Sound in 2010. As part of the non-profit’s mission to help seniors age in place and remain engaged, Ellie initiated a twice-monthly lecture series. A master networker, she assembled a remarkable slate of pro bono speakers, offering more than 300 programs over 15 years. Topics ranged widely from the war in Ukraine to chocolate therapy.
Ellie’s universe centered around family. The consummate matriarch, she spun a web where all generations felt embraced, seen, and supported. Similarly, her many friendships were deep and enduring. If Ellie didn’t know you, she wanted to. Likely, she already knew your cousin or somebody she thought you should connect with. Extensive travel to all seven continents nourished her boundless curiosity. Ellie loved to read, explore museums, see plays, exercise, garden, swim in Long Island Sound, and entertain with elegance. Ever attuned to current events, she protested just weeks before her death with a sign declaring, “I didn’t live this long to watch democracy die.”
Diagnosed with advanced cancer in 1997 and given three months to live, Ellie outlived her prognosis by nearly thirty years. The challenge amplified her grit, energy, zest for life, and generosity. Widowed in 2019, Ellie is survived by her daughters; Dale, Susan, and Jill, their spouses, and a precious trove of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In honor of Ellie, contributions may be made to The Elinor and Arthur Fredston Scholarship Fund at the Mamaroneck Larchmont Student Aid Fund (mlstudentaidfund.org). A celebration of Ellie’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on May 30 at the Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, New York.
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