Eleanor M. Cabral

Eleanor M. Cabral, of Whitman, passed away peacefully at the Life Care Center of West Bridgewater on Saturday, March 7, at the age of 88. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 61 years, Arthur S. Cabral Jr.

Eleanor was the loving mother of Arthur S. Cabral of West Bridgewater. Grandmother of Val Cabral and husband Samuel Colburn of Norton, as well as Diana Pelletier and her husband Brad of Lyman, ME. Mother-in-law of many years to Denise Cabral of Brimfield. Cherished aunt of Michelle Boudreau of New Bedford. She was thrilled to be the great grandmother of Eleanor Lynn Pelletier. Sister-in-law of Cynthia "Penny" (Cabral) Vandenburgh of Westport. Eleanor is also survived by multiple generations of nieces and nephews.

Eleanor was born in New Bedford and was a practicing Catholic all of her life. She left high school to begin working to help support her family, starting in the Venetian blind factory before moving up to Mammoth Mart and then into a very successful mortgage career with Jack Conway, retiring in her 50s as a Vice President.

Despite her legendary work ethic, Eleanor's great love in life was her family. She and Arthur married in 1959, moving to Boston where their son was born in 1961, before moving their family to Brockton. She spoke fondly of their “little Campanelli” where they hosted friends and family often, as decades of overflowing photo albums can attest to.

In 1983, Eleanor and Arthur moved to Whitman where they made every effort to host immediate and extended family as often as possible, hosting Easter Egg hunts for the grandchildren and cousins and throwing clam boils for the Fourth of July while everyone enjoyed the pool. Eleanor’s favorite holiday was Christmas, when she decorated every room- indeed, every surface- of their home with holiday spirit, and hosted at least three Christmases every year.

Eleanor loved creating, and would try anything once- macrame, stained glass, quilting, painting, ceramics- but perhaps her longest-lasting craft was crochet. She was always at the ready with a crocheted bib for a new baby, a stuffed animal for one of the many children who were lucky to call her Auntie or Grammy, and in her later years, lap blankets to donate for the elderly. She also loved technology, and she combined these loves by making personalized cards for birthdays and holidays using her beloved PrintMaster program, which perhaps has lost its last active user, having had its last version released in 2009.

After Eleanor retired, she became like a third parent to her grandchildren, making sure they got from school to after school programs to dance, always bringing a hot meal in the car- as nobody was ever allowed to go hungry on Eleanor's watch. She also spent much of her retirement volunteering with local organizations, most recently the Friends of the Whitman Public Library. An avid reader who believed in making reading accessible for all, she supported extensive fundraising efforts, such as the plantings she always brought over for sale, and the legendary cookbook for which she assembled recipes from many people, even getting the Nestle company to partner with them so that they could include the official Toll House cookie recipe in the book.

In her later years, even after the loss of her husband, she continued to enjoy hosting family gatherings, trying new recipes, and snapping photos of everyone present- whether they wanted her to or not. She took so much joy in her great-granddaughter and namesake Ellie, who could cheer her up with just a smile even on tough days.

We will miss her- and her legendary kale soup- more than we can possibly express, and take comfort in knowing that she is now reunited with Arthur. MTY-LTT.

Family and friends are invited to visiting hours for Eleanor in the MacKinnon Funeral Home, 760 Washington Street, Whitman, on Monday, March 23, 2026 from 4 - 7PM. Family and friends are also invited the following day, Tuesday, March 24, for a brief gathering beginning promptly in the funeral home at 945AM followed by a procession to the Funeral Mass which will begin at 1030AM in the Holy Ghost Church in Whitman. Burial to follow at St. John's Cemetery, New Bedford.

Memorial donations may be made in Eleanor’s name to The Friends of the Whitman Public Library at 100 Webster St. Whitman, MA 02382 or to the Whitman Food Pantry at 44 Blake St. Whitman, MA 02382.