Nash

Eleanor “Ele” Nash, nee Reed George, 87, passed away peacefully on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, surrounded by loved ones.

She was born on the Autumnal Equinox, 1936, to Emma Purviance Haines and Arthur Preston George in Butler, Pa. She attended Butler High School and lived in the huge yellow brick home her grandfather built, on Oak Street.

She ran the anesthesiology department at the VA Hospital, worked with Peter Safar, the Father of CPR, and with Children’s Hospital, where she contributed to the poison control Mr. Yuk sticker campaign. She also worked to usher in the car seat law for children.

She played professionally for 70 years as a concert pianist, church organist and choir director.

She was an award-winning, published poet (“Forty Degrees from Elsewhere” and “What Matters”).

She is survived by her husband, James F. Nash; her son, Sean Gimenez; her daughter, Kelly S. Reed; two grandsons, David B.H. Sanford and Benjamin R. Goehner; her great-granddaughter, Charlotte Eleanor E. Sanford; and her nephew, Bruce George Wettin.

She was preceded in death by her sister, Nancy George; and first husband, Manuel Gimenez.

She was a gift to everyone who met her, willingly listening, teaching, encouraging, telling stories, remembering details … showing up.

Her motto was “the show must go on” and she proved that every day by being there for others, often heroically.

If there were foundations to her genius, they were humility and hard work, wild talent, love of learning, of music, of faith … and of her family.

She was old-school; extremely well-mannered with perfect grammar, perfect handwriting, always knew what to say, how to put people at ease and make them feel important and recognized … just utterly charming.

We are so thankful to her … for everything.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at St. John's Episcopal Church in Kirkland, Wash.

Memorial donations may be made to the Arbor Foundation, arborday.org.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.