Eleanor B Mejasich

Eleanor “Ellie” (Dolinski) Mejasich Eleanor (Dolinski) Mejasich, a Registered Nurse, Army Nurse Corps veteran, and devoted mother of five children, passed away peacefully on September 4, 2026, in Venice, Florida at the age of 101. Born June 18, 1925, in Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late John Dolinski and Mary E. (Harcharik) Dolinski. She was raised in Glen Lyon and kept fond memories of her childhood—including skiing down Coal Street and visiting her grandparent’s farm in Berwick. She graduated from Newport High School in 1944. She trained as a student nurse at Scranton State Hospital and was a member of the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps, graduating in 1948. After graduation, she worked at Nazareth Hospital in Pennsylvania and at Elizabeth General Hospital in New Jersey. In May 1951, she entered the Army Nurse Corps as a Second Lieutenant. During nearly eight years of service, she was assigned to the U.S. Station Hospital at Ft Bragg in North Carolina, the 343rd General Hospital at Camp Drew in Japan, the 8076th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) and 11th Medical Evacuation Hospital in Korea during the Korean War, and Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii. She was honorably discharged in 1959. While raising her five children in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Eleanor volunteered at Saint Patrick’s Catholic School, as a librarian and taught English to young refugee children from Vietnam who attended the school. She was later employed by the Carlisle Sentinel and Hills Department Store. A longtime parishioner of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Carlisle, she moved to the Venice, Florida, in 1997, became a parishioner of Epiphany Cathedral, and became known as “Ellie”. One of her favorite pieces of music was Henry Mancini’s “Loss of Love,” which her daughter Ann learned to play for her on the piano. She loved animals all her life—a pet groundhog as a child and turtles, guinea pigs, goldfish, and the many dogs that grew up alongside her children. She also loved her two cups of coffee every morning—though she swore she was not addicted. Demonstrating her love of sports and athletic prowess, one winter she ordered a build-it-yourself ice rink from the Montgomery Ward's catalog for the children. She could be found on the ice herself, skating like her three-time Olympian idol, Sonja Henie. After she stopped driving, she rode her three-wheel bike in Venice, using the Venetian Waterway Park Trail to run errands and exercise well into her 90s. While a resident at Costa Bravo Condominiums on Venice Island, she was an active member of the condo association’s gardening committee helping to plant many of the trees along St. Augustine Avenue. Eleanor was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Military Women’s Memorial. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Allen J. Dolinski, and her sister, Marie A. Jarusewski. She was immensely proud of her five children, all of whom served in the military. She is survived by her children: Maj. Paul J. Mejasich, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), of Marina del Rey, California; LCDR Kim M. Taylor, U.S. Navy (Ret.), of San Diego, California; LTC Ann Marie von Recum, U.S. Army (Ret.), and her husband, LTC Derik F. von Recum, U.S. Army (Ret.), of Portsmouth, Rhode Island; Richard M. Mejasich (U. S. Army Veteran) of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; and Mary K. "Kathy" Mejasich (U. S. Air Force Veteran) of Alexandria, Virginia. Ellie is also survived by four grandchildren: Patrick Clayton Taylor II of the District of Columbia; Andersen Fox Mejasich of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania; Celia Catherina Freiin von Recum of Nokomis, Florida; and 2LT Erica Elaina Freiin von Recum, U.S. Army, of San Antonio, Texas. The family would like to extend special appreciation to the dedicated and compassionate caregivers and medical staff at: Grand Living at Wellen Park, North Port, Florida; Senior Helpers of Venice, Florid; and Sarasota Memorial Hospital - Venice. Over the past several years, their loving care and steady support brought comfort to Ellie and gave her family peace of mind that her needs were met. A Celebration of Life and Visitation will be held at Farley Funeral Home and Crematory in Venice on Saturday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m., followed by an onsite reception. A private Catholic Mass and burial will occur in Glen Lyon, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memoriam to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or American Legion Post 539, 64 Newport Street, Glen Lyon, PA 18617.