Eleanor C Jessie
January 3, 1949 - April 20, 2024
Obituary
Eleanor Jessie was born on January 3, 1949, in Philadelphia, PA to the proud parents of Robert R. Smith and Catherine Smith. Eleanor was raised in North Philadelphia. She attended elementary and middle school within the Philadelphia public school system. She later attended an all-girls Catholic High school called Little Flower. In her early years, she enjoyed playing sports with the neighborhood boys and occasionally would get into spats and was known to hold her own.
Eleanor enjoyed spending time with her older sister Katherine, they were inseparable even though she was five (5) years younger. Every time Katherine moved to a different area of Philadelphia; Eleanor made sure that she moved to the same neighborhood. They played Bingo, attended concerts at the Uptown Theater and the Keswick Theater in Philadelphia and in Atlantic City. They also enjoyed driving to Baltimore, Maryland with their parents to visit family members.
In 1965, Eleanor married Vincent L. Jessie Sr. and together they had two sons, Vincent, and Richard. Several years later, two more children were born, Tamika, and Michael. The family settled in the Mt Airy section of Philadelphia. Eleanor was a stay-at-home mother until 1979, when she started her career. She worked at Charles R. Drew preschool in Philadelphia for many years. She provided classroom support to pre-school children with special needs. Several years after her first retirement, Eleanor decided to rejoin the work force and began working at the local neighborhood Super Market and finally retired in 2017.
Eleanor enjoyed listening to Motown music (her favorite singers Eddie Kendricks of The Temptations and David Ruffin). She grew up listening to various local R&B bands and singers which led to her love for the “Sound of Philadelphia” soul music. Her hobbies included completing crossword and wordsearch puzzles, taking long walks, and watching mystery movies. Eleanor was a long-time fan of the sport of boxing and always looked forward to upcoming matches on HBO pay per view. She was very caring, had a great sense of humor, was down to earth and did not have a problem speaking her mind or telling the truth. She enjoyed attending family gatherings, laughing while sharing funny stories about her childhood and early young adult life in Philadelphia. Eleanor enjoyed being a mother, auntie, grandmother, great- grandmother, sister, and friend.
Eleanor moved to Seattle, Washington in 2018 to be close to her son Vincent and daughter-in-law Alesia. Later, she moved into an apartment at Solstice Senior living community in Renton, Washington where she developed new friendships over the last few years. Eleanor enjoyed going on outings in the community. She participated in activities such as spending time with her friends while enjoying meals, movie time and celebrating holidays and community gatherings. Eleanor will truly be missed.
Eleanor is preceded in death by her parents Robert R. Smith and Catherine Smith, her sister Katherine Whatley, her brother Howard Macklin, her two children Tamika Jessie and Richard Jessie, and niece Linda Whatley.
Eleanor leaves to cherish her memories her two sons: Vincent L. Jessie (Alesia) and Michael Jessie. Eleven grandchildren: Vincent Jessie lll, Anthony Jessie, Niah Jessie, Jessika Jessie, Natylie Jessie, Jasmine Jessie, Rachel Jessie, Amira Jessie, Nia Jessie, Noah Jessie, and Micah Jessie. Three great grandchildren: Jaylin McKnight, Savannah Nelson, and Sonny Spruill. Brother in-law Paul Whatley Sr, nephew Paul Whatley Jr, Nieces Angela Brown (Orson) and Tracey Whatley, great niece Terreia Whatley (C.C), a host of relatives and her long-time friend of 50 years Marsha J. Baker.
Even tho it was virtual I would miss this for the world. Peace and Love to all my family