Eleanor Anita Ezman

Eleanor Anita Ezman was called by God on December 27th to be reunited with Him and all the beloved souls she so loved and missed who passed before her. She was 95 years old.
Born in Carbondale on February 5th, 1926, Eleanor was a coal miners’ daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Calabro) Greto who were lovingly known to the area miner’s families as Sam and Katie O’Grady.
She was the beloved wife, “Elle” of the late Stanley Ezman, Jr. who has been waiting for their heavenly reunion since October 11, 1999.
 
She often questioned why she was still in this world for almost 96 years.  To all who were blessed to be hers, or to have known her, she was regarded with many names. “Elle, Eleanor, Ma, Mom, Grammy,  Aunt Ellie, friend or neighbor”.  She had a gift of making everyone feel like family and touched countless lives as she was our Gift. And she prided herself that we all were her gifts.  She had many roles in life and wore many hats.  Both figuratively and actually. She would always remind us in her special way to wear a hat and keep your neck warm so we didn’t get sick. 

To be alive for almost 96 years may have seemed like forever to her, but will never be long enough to us. She genuinely made this world a better place. We could always count on her for many things.  She was a warm and soft place, always.  To give a firm pointed finger when it was warranted. To give sage advice whether it was requested or not. She gave the biggest, softest hugs no matter how tall we were and how short she seemed to become. She worried about everyone ahead of herself. She had a gift to heal our wounds of all kinds and sizes and would remind us that she would “knuckle” you if she had to.
She loved her family more than anything and enjoyed crossword puzzles, word finds, watching classic movies and keeping us all “in line”.  Everyone knew what she liked or disliked by her memorable facial expressions and hand gestures.
 
She leaves behind 3 generations with family traditions we will always cherish and with many memories to fill the hole she’s left behind in us. She was always a wife, mother, grandmother, aunt or cousin first and foremost.
 
She graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1943 and worked very hard locally in the garment industry and was a member of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. She never truly retired, continuing to work at The Carbondale Trading Post owned by her son, Bill with her sister Catherine.  She loved working there until recently and enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones while there.  Eleanor was a lifelong member of St. Rose of Lima Church, Carbondale and she loved God.
 
She is survived by her only sister, Catherine (Greto) Vickers. Her son John and wife Rosemary (Barhight) Ezman, Carbondale. Her daughter Susan Passiment and husband Gerald Sr., Harrisburg and her son Stanley (Bill) Ezman, Carbondale and her former daughter-in-law Sandee (Santarelli) Ezman. Six grandchildren. Jennifer Krzan-Allan, Toni Gashi, Christina, Gerald Jr. and Michael Passiment and Nicholas Starner. 5 great-grandchildren. Justin and Jesse Krzan, Megan Gashi, Brandon Unruh and Jake Starner. All of their spouses and partners and many cherished nieces and nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Stanley Ezman, Jr., a grandson-in-law,  Francis (Frank) Krzan, Jr. and several beloved in-laws and cousins.

A public viewing will be held at Brennan and Brennan Funeral Home, 55 Lincoln Avenue, Carbondale on Monday, January 3rd from 3-5 pm. Funeral and celebration of Eleanor’s life will be held on Tuesday, January 4th at 9:30 am at Saint Rose of Lima Church, Carbondale. There will be no calling hours before the funeral and guests are asked to proceed directly to the Church and the family is requesting all attending either event to wear face masks and practice social distancing.  Internment will immediately follow at Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Greenfield Township.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to a charity of your choice, in her memory.

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