Elinor Mcgrew
May 22, 1928 - February 24, 2023
Elinor Caroline Huggenvik Mcgrew (94) passed away peacefully of natural causes on Friday, February 24, 2023 in Santa Clarita,
California.
Elinor was born in 1928 in Northfield, Minnesota, the youngest of five children to Norwegian immigrants Reverend Theodore J. Huggenvik and his wife, Theodora Caroline Carlsen.
Elinor graduated high school in 1946 and went on to graduate from St. Olaf College in 1950. After graduation, she continued her education at the University of Minnesota and where she met Elliott Brooks Mcgrew, Jr. After marrying in 1956, the couple moved to Lakeville, Connecticut in 1958 where Elliott worked at Hotchkiss School. By 1965 they had welcomed daughters Rebecca and Katherine to the family and they moved to Marblehead, Massachusetts in 1966.
In 1967 the family moved abroad to Athens, Greece where they lived for seven years. During their stay, Elliott served as Principal to Athens College and Elinor served as President of the American Women of Greece (AWOG) foundation.
When the family moved to Southern California in 1974, Elinor pursued a degree in Early Childhood Education, and went on to found the Creative Years Preschool with her business partner, Gloria Stanton, in 1979. The business remained successful until it was sold in 1994. Elinor’s delight in fostering creativity and cultivating a love of learning impacted many students.
After the sale of the business, Elinor took on new creative projects: researching a novel, quilting, serving as a docent at the Getty Center, and singing with the choir of St. Martins of Tours Catholic Church in Los Angeles. Elinor and Elliott joined the local Unitarian Universalist Church, where Elinor played a foundational role.
Throughout their life-long marriage, Elinor and Elliott loved traveling together, collecting art, exploring the history and culture of their destinations, and sharing many unique experiences. They remained happily married, enriching their lives with these experiences until Elliott passed in 2013. In 2016, Elinor moved to an apartment at Atria where she spent her final years.
Elinor will be remembered for her bright mind, spirited nature, generous creativity, and infectious enthusiasm for any project she took on. Even when restricted by illness, her spirit shone through, touching everyone she met. She was a bright light and will be deeply missed.
Elinor is survived by daughters, Rebecca and Katherine, grandson Ian, treasured nieces and nephews and their families, and many dear friends.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Clarita at https:// uuofscv.org/about-us/donate/ or UU of the Santa Clarita Valley, PO Box 800028, Santa Clarita, CA 91380.