Submitted by Bob Warfield.
Eleanor “Ellie” Wilson has been blazing her trail with institutional and community landmarks for nearly fifty years. From graduation at San José State, the founding campus of California’s university system and earlier times of extensive teaching and travel, raising a family and guiding her children in creative stride through Clover Park Schools with PTSA, and legislative liaison for elementary education, she found time to welcome foreign exchange students to American life, offered tutoring assistance to dozens of children, lead levy funding campaigns for a decade, established the Discovery Science curriculum for elementary grades, and help to found Lakewood’s non-profit Communities in Schools. It’s little wonder industrious Ellie was honored by the award of Washington’s prestigious Golden Acorn in 1988. Adding to Ellie’s record of civic achievement is her contribution to the successful incorporation of Lakewood.
Recently, Ellie has applied her “can do” skills to provide organizational leadership for the Claudia Thomas Habitat for Humanity construction of affordable housing in Tillicum. Ellie’s vision and commitment have brought people and resource together with high purpose and lasting accomplishment over a half century of community service. Distinguished always by her calmness and courage, Eleanor Wilson has shown the way, that to attempt is to achieve. Honoring Ellie’s community service interests, this year’s companion grant of $1,000 will go to Communities in Schools of Lakewood. The award will be presented at Lakewood City Hall, Tuesday evening, January 16.
How wonderful and deserving! Ellie has been dedicated to our community for so many years.