Eleanor M. Kowalchek, 80, passed on September 1, 2021 at the Knollwood Military Retirement Community, where she and her late husband of 55 years, Major Peter P. Kowalchek, Jr., lived since the spring of 2016. Eleanor will be remembered for her beautiful smile, kindness, and courage in fighting Parkinson’s Disease. Eleanor was born on June 14, 1941 in Worcester, MA. She is the daughter of the late Chester and Viola Nachorski. Eleanor and her husband moved to the Washington, DC area in 2014 after having spent 30 years in Avon, CT. Eleanor’s later years at Knollwood were fulfilling when they were able to meet-up with fellow residents and participate in social activities. Eleanor had a love for travel; and, while in college, she participated in the Experiment for International Living’s program in Sweden, where she also visited other European cities to study fashion, culture, and customs. Eleanor then graduated from Syracuse University and moved to New York City where she enjoyed the city’s vast international arts and culture offerings. She was employed as a senior buyer for the Department of Defense’s PX System in Fort Dix, NJ. Eleanor and her husband, Peter, were avid sailors for over 30 years, having sailed the waters of New England (Mystic, Newport, Block Island, and Martha’s Vineyard). They spent over 50 summers on Martha’s Vineyard at their family home on Samoset Ave in Oak Bluffs, where Eleanor enjoyed the beaches, sailing, swimming, shopping and relaxing on the porch. Some of Eleanor’s early memories of the Vineyard were during summers in college, when she taught swimming in Chilmark and worked at the former Boston House in Oak Bluffs. In her later years, she enjoyed traveling with her husband, having participated on various tours throughout Europe, exploring the Caribbean and Mexico on cruises, and visiting family and friends throughout the US. Eleanor is survived by a daughter, Sandra Kowalchek, of North Bethesda, MD; a son, Scott Kowalchek, his wife, Nichola, and two grandchildren - Britain and Kira, of Rancho Santa Fe, CA. Eleanor also leaves behind a sister, Diane Maguire, and her husband, John, of Westboro, MA. A prayer service will be held on September 17th at 3pm at DeVol Funeral Home in Washington, DC. A formal Catholic Chapel service and interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 2:45PM