Eleanor Mae Whitfield
March 4, 1939 — May 28, 2026
Aged 87 · Savannah, GA
Eleanor Mae Whitfield, 87, passed peacefully at home on the morning of May 28, surrounded by the family she adored. Born in 1939 in the Live Oak district of Savannah, Eleanor was the eldest of five and learned early the joy of caring for others.
For thirty-four years she taught second grade at Charles Ellis Elementary, where generations of Savannah children learned to read in her warm, sunlit classroom. She believed every child was capable of wonder, and she spent her life proving it.
Eleanor’s garden was famous on her block — heirloom tomatoes, gardenias, and a fig tree she planted the year her first grandchild was born. Her kitchen door was never locked, and there was always a slice of pound cake for anyone who knocked.
She is remembered for her quick laugh, her gentle stubbornness, and a love that asked for nothing in return. The world is softer for her having been in it.
Survived by
Her children James, Carol, and Ruth; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and countless former students who called her “Miss Eleanor” all their lives.
In lieu of flowers
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Live Oak Public Libraries literacy fund.
142 candles have been lit in Eleanor’s memory
Words of comfort & remembrance
Share a memory or a message for the family. Your words are a comfort.
- Marcus Bell
Miss Whitfield taught me to read in 1971 and I never forgot her patience. I became a teacher because of her. Rest easy, Miss Eleanor.
- The Pruitt Family
Forty years next door. The figs, the cake, the open door. We will miss her more than words can hold.
- Diane Okafor
Eleanor sat with me every day the week my husband passed. She knew how to be present without a single word. A gift of a woman.