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Eleanor was born in Nanticoke, a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. She was the tenth of twelve children born to Jan and Mary Ann Breita, and the youngest of the seven who survived into adulthood. Under the best of circumstances, life in a coal mining town is difficult. But when one is seven years old and one’s thirty-two year old mother has a disabling stroke, one’s universe crashes. Eleanor became a maternal orphan at age eleven when her mother succumbed to another stroke at the age of 36.

After her mother’s death, Eleanor was raised by her older sisters. At sixteen, Eleanor decided to strike out on her own. She moved to New Jersey to live with one of her sisters. During this period, WW II began and Eleanor became “Rosie the punch-press operator” at Western Electric. After the war, she sought more lucrative employment and found it in the coffee shop of a hotel off Park Avenue in New York City, the Midston House. While working at this coffee shop, she met Herbert Mauner, a persistent fellow with a funny accent and a head full of red hair. Over time, Eleanor and Herb became engaged. Because Herb had no idea of where and how he was going to make a living after returning from the Korean war, Eleanor asked one of her regular customers, who was in the management consulting business, for his help in creating a resume with which to sell her future husband’s skills. This resulted in Herb’s first post-war job.

Shortly after Herb started working, they moved to their first apartment in Jersey City. Then Herb’s career started picking up. Eleanor and Herb bought their first home in 1954 in Central New Jersey, where their first child, Gail, was born in 1955. In 1957 their second child, Bruce, was born, in the midst of a severe recession. Herb lost his job, and Eleanor, Herb, and their children moved to Columbus, Ohio for Herb’s new job.

Eleanor was her husband’s biggest cheerleader. When an opportunity presented itself, Eleanor encouraged Herb to take a job In California. She started packing, with the understanding that this was to be their last move until the children were out of school.

In the summer of 1961, Eleanor and Herb moved their family to Fullerton, California and put down roots in the community. There they raised their two children. Gail became a university professor. Bruce became an architect. Later, Eleanor was further blessed by two grandchildren - Chelsea, a teacher, and Aaron, who is studying for an MD/Ph.D.

Eleanor was known to family, neighbors, and friends for her wonderful cooking and willingness to help others. Despite many hardships, she retained her never-wavering “joie de vivre” until her death.

She was and will remain the love of Herb’s life and is already terribly missed by her family and friends.

The Mauner Family

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