Eleanor Rathgeb

Our beautiful earth angel and mother, ELEANOR JOAN RATHGEB, aka: Miss Ellie, took flight
comfortably surrounded by family on Saturday, December 9, 2023. Mom was 89-years young.
Miss Ellie was an extraordinary mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin
friend, and mentor to many. She had an amazing zest for life and received her golden ticket
from God to be with the stars. By now, she has staked out all the happy hours, igniting the
afterlife dance floor while reuniting with her dearly departed siblings: John (Jack), Richard,
Jeremiah (Jerry), Joseph and Patricia, along with parents Eleanor P. Callahan and Urban Henry
Strouse, Nanny (Aunt Anna Drewes), Aunt Grace Callahan, and adored grandson, Patrick
Rathgeb, as well as other beloved family/friends who have passed, but never forgotten. Miss
Ellie's surviving siblings include Urban Jr. (wife Bonnie), Anna Marie Vinnecombe and Kathleen
Streeter (husband Dennis).
Miss Ellie raised five children Richard, (wife Christine), Kenneth, SR., (wife Donna), Beth Anne
Carboy (husband Joseph), Brian (wife Pamela) and Paul John (wife Tenaya) in a close-knit
neighborhood community located in northeast Philadelphia before moving to Lafayette Hill in
1980. After moving out of the concrete jungle and into the suburbs, Miss Ellie was determined
to earn a college degree regardless of her age (early 60's), enrolling at Montgomery County
Community College. She studied diligently and went on to receive, with honors, her associate
degree. In Lafayette Hill, Mom continued to parent, all while being a full-time in-home
caregiver for youth with different abilities.
Surviving grandchildren include: Kenneth Jr., Matthew, Eric, and Danny (Parents: Ken Sr. &
Donna); Sarah and Rebecca (Parents: Rick & Chris); Justin, Jessica, Jared, & Joshua (Parents:
Beth Anne & Joseph) & Dakota and River (Parents: Paul & Tenaya). The great grandchildren
include: Kenneth III, Emilee, Brielle, Jacob, and Hazel (Parents: Kenneth Jr. &Amy) and
Samantha, Matthew Jr., Alex, and Raelyn (Parents: Matthew & Jaclyn).
Miss Ellie made a bold move at the tender age of 9. She boarded a trolley in North
Philadelphia, by herself, with only a dime in her pocket to go live with her beloved Nanny who
raised her. Miss Ellie's tenacity for seeking independence began at an early age and never once
faded. Nanny, along with her husband, owned a bakery at 1112 Gerald Avenue in North
Philadelphia. Miss Ellie would invite grade school friends from Saint Peter's Catholic School over
to the bakery for free donuts before moving on to Hallahan High School. It was at Hallahan High
School that Miss Ellie met her lifetime friend, Helen Ciandra.
Mom always described her occupation as a domestic engineer while she raised her own
children and others. She provided her family with every resource possible so they could be
successful - always leading by example. When the children were grown, Miss Ellie decided it
was time for her to make a difference in the working world. She held several secretarial
positions at the Whitemarsh Country Club, various law firms and the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) to name a few. Mom loved and excelled in the workforce, quickly making
friends. She again clearly demonstrated to others that it was never too late to achieve one's life
goals.
Growing up above a bakery laid the groundwork for Mom's strong work ethic and
entrepreneurial spirit. Miss Ellie invested and managed five properties in beautiful Myrtle
Beach, SC - a place she will always call home. Her time in Myrtle Beach was chalked full of
beach time, strolls at the Marsh Walk, entertaining a steady influx of visitors, golf carting and
crocheting garments for the local church.
Mom was a big fan of playing games, including Yahtzee, Dominoes, Phase 10 and Rummikub.
She cherished game night with friends, and they had a blast!! When she was going out on the
town, you could find her wherever trivia and DJ Bingo were being played, which was typically
during happy hour. Discounts and fun at the same time!! Simply put, Miss Ellie was a social
butterfly.
Miss Ellie knew all the hot spot restaurants/bars, which she happily shared with everyone so
they could also enjoy, many times under her company. She knew exactly where to go for the
freebies and the discounted drinks. We always thought she should have started a happy hour
tour guide. Mom always maintained a spark for traveling and adventure seeking with her free
caring spirit.
Miss Ellie had quite a few nicknames over the years as the great ones do: Miss Ellie, El, Eleanor
Joanie or to a Myrtle Beach bartender, Sweetie. She never complained, was selfless, loving,
smiling, laughing and always had a sassy sarcastic comment or laser quick-witted response.
Miss Ellie was super sharp, adventurous, charming, and always a fearless protector and leader.
Because of her charismatic personality, Miss Ellie attracted the finest neighbors and friends in
Myrtle Beach. We are truly blessed for the magnitude of care they provided to Mom over the
years – our family is forever grateful.
Miss Ellie, during her days in Myrtle Beach, was an active member at the Moose Lodge, the
Mongomery Elks Club and the American Legion, where she also volunteered. She was
extremely generous and consistently donated to some of her favorite charity organizations, to
include: Saint Jude Children's Research, Our Lady of Confidence School and Friends of the
Children. If anyone would like to donate to one of these charities in Mom's name, that would
be wonderful and quite meaningful.
Miss Ellie always contributed to organizations that would center around youth. Her infectious
joy and unbelievable kindness impacted so many lives and will be dearly missed. She is a
mentor to many and we are forever grateful for the impact she has had on our lives, especially
the lives of the children.
Our family wants to share our immense gratitude to the palliative and hospice care teams in
Myrtle Beach and in PA. Mom had nothing but a deep appreciation for the compassionate care
provided by her amazing medical care team. Our family is tremendously grateful for your loving
care of our Miss Ellie.
And lastly, but certainly not least, a shout out to Brian, Pam, Junior (dog/son), and all the dogs
at the K9 Confidants Resort where mom received the greatest care a loved one could ever
receive. The dogs at K9 Confidants Resort were guardian angels and stayed by her bedside up
until her last breath. Junior did not want her to go, as he lay on her bed by her feet.
Let us continue to honor Mom's life and legacy through loving acts of generosity towards each
other, especially those less fortunate. Miss Ellie has her wings now and will be looking over
family and friends. She would have wanted it this way. We are truly blessed, as she has indeed
touched so many lives.
Service(s) will not be immediate and are pending once final arrangements can be made. Miss
Ellie is a bit of a celebrity and quite popular in several states, so her life celebration services will
have no limitations. We hope to publish the digital obituary again, prior to the service, so that
everyone has an opportunity to plan.