Barraclough, Eleanor Brydon

Eleanor Brydon Barraclough, 101, passed away peacefully on July 7, 2021, in the care of Suncoast Hospice, Palm Harbor, Florida after a brief illness. Eleanor was born on April 1, 1920 in Galashiels, Scotland, fifth child to Michael Beattie Brydon and Helen Weir Brydon. She is survived by her two children, daughter Jean Barraclough with whom she lived in Palm Harbor for the last 22 years and son Jim Barraclough of Collinsville, who she visited almost every summer and many nieces and nephews and extended families in the US and UK and many, many friends! She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jim Barraclough in 1998 and her four siblings, Agnes (Nan) McLauchlan, Walter Brydon and Jim Brydon of Scotland and George Brydon, Sr. in the US.

Eleanor had a wonderful life in three settings – 26 years in Scotland, 33 years in Connecticut and 42 years in Florida. In Scotland during World War II, Eleanor joined the Women’s Land Army in 1940 serving four years working in the fields and driving a tractor on a large vegetable farm, growing food for the military along with 11 other volunteers to replace able-bodied men who could go off to fight. Life was not all hard work and no play as several air bases with Spitfire pilots from Australia, New Zealand and Canada were nearby and many dances and outings took place with the “Land Girls”. The farm was in Aberlady, East Lothian, near Edinburgh, an area today called the “Golf Coast of Scotland” with many well-known golf courses near some of those former fields. Eleanor finally received her service badge and certificate from Prime Minister

Gordon Brown in 2008 in recognition of the British Government’s profound gratitude for unsparing efforts as a loyal and devoted member of the Women’s Land Army at a time when our country depended upon you for its survival.

On July 9, 1946, in Hawick, Scotland, Eleanor married

Jim Barraclough from Collinsville, her childhood nextdoor neighbor in Scotland, when they were reunited after 22 years, many years as pen pals, and a very brief courtship! She left her career as a beautician and hairdresser in Edinburgh, family and friends, and sailed alone to New York to rejoin Jim in America and soon adapted to her new life there. Eleanor and Jean traveled to Scotland in 1952 and as Eleanor’s father died when they were there, her mother, Helen returned with them to Collinsville where she lived until 1963, helping with the children, was their only babysitter

and a strong Scottish influence! Eleanor and Jim loved raising their two children, working on their house and yard on Maple Avenue and spending summer vacations in Cape Ann but they always dreamed of retiring to Florida. Eleanor attended the First Congregational Church of Collinsville and sang in the choir. As a Red Cross volunteer, she drove groups of other volunteers to bloodmobiles around the Hartford area. Eleanor loved cars, especially her Starfire and Cutlass 442. Eleanor was a founding member of Canton Benefit Productions, participating in over 18 musical productions, doing costumes and hats, going to NY to rent costumes, singing in the chorus and having many character parts, including the role of Meg in Brigadoon in 1966 and production consultant for this Scottishthemed show. She loved music and the Big Bands and played piano and keyboard. Eleanor had always hoped

to travel which she would do on subsequent trips to Scotland to visit family and later to Spain, San Juan and Mexico City to visit Jean. She and Jim also visited Bermuda and Canada and other US locations for

banking conventions. She loved planes and flying and attended many air shows at MacDill Air Base in Tampa featuring the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels. Her dream of flying the Concorde came true as part of their 50th wedding anniversary trip, when Eleanor, husband Jim

and Jean sailed to Southampton on the QEII, visited Scotland then returned by British Air Concorde from London Heathrow to JFK New York in 3 hours and 20 minutes! What a thrill! Her last trip to Scotland was with Jean in the summer of 2001. Whenever she returned to Scotland, she was accused of speaking like a “Yank” but everyone in America loved her Scottish accent which she never fully lost.

In August of 1979, Eleanor and Jim moved to Highland Lakes in Palm Harbor, Florida, a new 55+ active retirement community. Eleanor assisted the management company in providing Scottish names for many of the streets. She and Jim played tennis and golf and participated in many of the clubs and activities and loved to walk on the beach at Honeymoon Island. Eleanor

sang with the Highland Lassies group and danced and sang at parties large and small. After 19 years of happy retirement, when Jim died, Eleanor and Jean moved into a home on the golf course, just a block from the beautiful clubhouse pool where Eleanor walked and swam almost daily. She was interested in everything but loved to watch sports on TV: Yankees baseball, NASCAR racing, golf, of course and tennis. She celebrated her 101st birthday at home with friends, family and several special dog friends. She loved all animals from childhood, cats, dogs, horses, birds and owls. She had a special black cat in Scotland, had many family cats in Collinsville and several “grandcats” through Jean and Jim over the years. She was proud to still have all her own teeth, always wore lipstick and matching outfits, usually in pink or blue. Eleanor began writing her life story through a Personal Life History writing class and had completed the draft of her book which will now fall to Jean to finalize. This special Scottish lass was loved by and will be missed by all who knew her.

Graveside funeral services will be held Saturday, September 4th at 12:00 PM in Canton Southwest Cemetery, Collinsville. Funeral arrangements in Florida were handled by Curlew Hills Memory Gardens, Palm Harbor and local arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc., www.ahernfuneralhome.com.