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Elenore McMullen Obituary

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Elenore McMullen

Homer, AK

May 11, 1939 - April 5, 2019

Elenore McMullen Obituary

Elenore McMullen, 79, passed away on April 5th at South Peninsula Hospital in Homer. Funeral services will be held in Port graham at Saint Herman’s Orthodox Church on Wednesday April 10th at 2:00, with Father James Gust officiating. Burial will follow at the west end cemetery, where mom will be laid to rest beside her parents. A dinner will be held after the burial at the community center. Everyone is invited to come and join us! She was married to Bobby McMullen and last year celebrated their 60th anniversary. Elenore Elizabeth was born in Port Graham to Harry and Barbara Norman on May 11, 1939. She was aptly named after Eleanor Roosevelt and Queen Elizabeth. Mom attended school in Port Graham and Seldovia. After graduating with a G.E.D. she attended Mount Edgecumbe and became a Licensed Practical Nurse. She made nursing her life time career, and loved it! She worked at Alaska Native Medical Center, and at elder facilities in Iowa. She spent many years here in Port Graham as a Health Aide starting as a volunteer. She encouraged and trained individuals to become Health Aides both here and at the Skill Center in Seward. After having lived in Iowa for several years our family moved back to Port Graham in 1972, much to mom’s delight! She worked for the cannery Whitney Fidalgo and in their store as a clerk. During this time, she realized the community was in need of many services and began volunteering to help improve the quality of life here. Mom was later hired as the first Community Health Representative, developing her own job description. That was the beginning of thirty plus years of service. She was on the Village Council for many years and then from 1990- 2002 she served as “Tuyuq” village chief. Mom served on many boards and committees securing much needed services such as an office for a clinic and later on its own building, naming it after her grandmother who was a “healer/midwife”. She worked to secure EMS services, mental health, fire department, alcoholism services, environmental program, Port Graham/Nanwalek watershed program and was instrumental in securing housing, a new school, an Orthodox Church building, the development of the fish hatchery, multi-use facility and more. Mom did a lot of traveling for our community and enjoyed meeting people from all over the country. In 1989 during the Exxon Valdez oil spill she took a presentation to Washington DC on behalf of the late Chief Walter Meganack Sr. to the Oiled Mayors called “The Day the Waters Died” and also represented the people of the Chugach Region by speaking of our concerns and witnessing on the oil spill. She worked tirelessly, not only for the benefit of the people of Port Graham but also for Nanwalek, Seldovia and even Homer. Mom received many awards for her efforts over the years such as the Della Keats Helping Hands award, Chugach Alaska Shareholder of the year, Women of Distinction Haven House etc. She loved the Orthodox religion that she was raised in, participating and serving on the church council for many years. Mom was an avid subsistence user. She was passionate about any type of fishing. She said that while being out on the water fishing it was therapy for her soul and was able to work out anything that was bothering her. Mom loved planting flowers in her yard, taking maqi, enjoying the outdoors and many other things. But most of all she loved spending time with family and friends. Her grandkids and then great grands were always a high priority. Mom loved all of her siblings, Marvin Norman, Christine Saracoff, Harrietta McGahn, nieces, nephews and their children. Some of whom she delivered herself! She just really loved to visit with people! In recent years mom has suffered from dementia/Alzheimer’s. For the past eleven months she was a resident at the Long-Term Care Facility in Homer. We will always be grateful to Dr. Eneboe and the fabulous staff for all their love and tenderness shown to mom while under their care. Quyanakcak! A big thank you! She is survived by her husband Bob, children, Robert, Barbara, Deborah, Jeff and Greg. 15 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren, many godchildren and lots of relatives. Memory Eternal!

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Elenore McMullen.