Eleanor McMann Welch

Eleanor McMann Welch, 96, passed away in St. Augustine on Oct. 22, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was born on May 2, 1914, in Providence, R.I.

She is survived by her son, Bruce Buffinton of St. Augustine; daughter, Joanie B. Wylie of St. Augustine; grandchildren, Bonnie Buffinton, Mark Buffinton and Holly Buffinton Redstone; and seven great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her mother, Mary McMann; father, James McMann; sister, Louise M. Coggeshall; brother, James McMann; and three husbands, Robert Bradford Buffinton, Homer Hanks Sumner and G. Grant Welch.

For many years, she made her home in Watertown, Conn., and in recent years she spent the winter with her daughter in St. Augustine. She worked for the Public House, a historic country inn in Sturbridge, Mass., and was the vice president of Elaina Plastics in Watertown, Conn.

Eleanor had a full life. When younger, she was an avid golfer, an accomplished horsewoman and an interior decorator. She saw Babe Ruth play baseball, lived through the Great Depression and had the opportunity to meet the Pope, a king and two queens. She enjoyed traveling abroad and in the U.S., and being with friends and family.

A memorial service will be announced at a later date.

St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.