Eleanor B. Coerr

 
ELEANOR BEATRICE COERR  1922-2010  
Eleanor Coerr was born in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, Canada on May 29, 1922 and grew up in Saskatoon. She began her professional life as a newspaper reporter and editor of a column for children. Throughout her adult life, Ms. Coerr wrote several dozen children's books including Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Omar Award, 1982). Thanks to the popularity of this book, Ms. Coerr appeared on television news programs in the USA and abroad, most notably the national ABC and CBS News. Eleanor Coerr lived in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Ecuador and Mexico and traveled extensively throughout the world visiting schools to talk to children and educators about her work.  She earned a Bachelor's degree from the American University in Washington, D.C. and a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Maryland. She taught Children's Literature at Monterey Peninsula College and Creative Writing at Chapman College. Living in Princeton, New Jersey, Ms. Coerr continued to write until her death which took place on November 22, 2010. She is survived by her two sons, Robert and William and two grandchildren. A memorial service to celebrate the life of Eleanor will take place on Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. at the Princeton Windrows, Princeton, NJ. For more information and to RSVP, please email wthicks@verizon.net.