Eleanor G. Farrell

Eleanor G. Farrell passed away in Collegeville, PA on September 26th, 2025, at the age of 72. She was born on February 28th, 1953, in Washington DC to the late Almerigo and Lea Giraldi. The second of three siblings, Eleanor graduated from Springbrook High School before attending the University of Maryland, College Park. She graduated in 1975 with High Honors in Government and Politics, and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She received an MA in Government from the University of Virginia, and also took graduate courses at Georgetown University. Eleanor worked on Capitol Hill in a Congressional office and for a U.S. Senate commission, and taught courses through the University of Maryland while living abroad. She was a loving mother and made a beautiful home for her family, especially during her husband's deployment during the First Gulf War. Eleanor's family originated in Trieste, Italy, and she had a deep affection for the history, culture, and food of Italy. Her knowledge of Italian cuisine was encyclopedic, and her collection of cookbooks was unmatched. She spent two years living in La Maddalena, Italy, during her husband Paul's long Navy medical career, which allowed her to perfect her fluent Italian and to travel throughout the country. She loved the art of the Italian Renaissance. She and Paul traveled extensively. They made their home in four different states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Family vacations were often spent at Ocean View, Delaware. They were frequent cruisers to the Caribbean and Europe, and recently returned from a trip around Scandinavia. Eleanor was an avid reader, with a particular love of art history, political science, and mystery novels. She was never without a stack of books on her side table. Eleanor will be remembered for her wonderful parties, whether it was Christmas with her family, social events for Navy Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and her daughter's sleepovers. Her gnocchi verdi, pecan pie, and homemade limoncello have been enjoyed by many of her friends and family throughout the years. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, CAPT. Paul E. Farrell Jr., MC, U.S. Navy (ret.), daughter Karen E. Farrell, PhD, son-in-law LCDR Daniel Rosinski, JAGC, U.S. Navy Reserve, and beloved granddaughter Elizabeth Rosinski. Other survivors include her brothers Albert Giraldi (Patricia) and Robert Giraldi (Leigh Anne), sister-in-law Anne Marie Gersch (Martin), and nieces and nephews Ariel Giraldi (Michael Copley), Megan Gersch (Jerry Brandt), Alec Giraldi, Joseph Gersch, Lauren Adams (Daniel), Joseph Giraldi (Shelby), and Haley Schnieder (TC), as well as cherished cousins and friends. A viewing will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Parish, 900 Sumneytown Pike, 19446 in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, from 10-10:45 am on Saturday, October 4th, with a funeral Mass to immediately follow at 11:00 am. The burial is planned for Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in her name to Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Bethesda, Maryland, or to the Cardiac Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.