Eleanor N Gebolys Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Eleanor N. (Ronnie) Gebolys, formerly of Perrysburg, OH, a longtime community volunteer and arts and education enthusiast, died July 16 at her home in Fort Myers, FL. She was 96. Eleanor was born in Syracuse, NY, she moved to Toledo before attending St. Catherine of Siena and Central Catholic High School. She attended Bowling Green State University and graduated from Stanford University in 1946. She returned to Toledo and was a physical therapist for four decades. Notably, she directed the therapy team at Glendale-Feilbach Elementary School, one of the nation’s first schools to mainstream orthopedically handicapped children, from its opening in 1976 until she retired. She also worked for the former Veterans Administration Hospital, Dr. Robert Gosling, and at Toledo Hospital. In 1988, she earned a Master of Education from the University of Toledo with a thesis entitled “The Relationship of Myelomeningocele to Cognitive Function in Elementary and Intermediate Level Students.” She took classes at the University of Toledo through the 1990s and studied at the Toledo Museum of Art. In the Toledo area, she created pastel artwork displayed at the Toledo Museum of Art and elsewhere and was a member of PRIZM Creative Community. She cultivated an interest in poetry and creative writing through classes at the Way Public Library in Perrysburg. She also wrote for her community in Fort Myers. She was a volunteer usher at the Masonic Auditorium and a music docent at the art museum for 14 years, ending in the late 2000s. With her husband, she was an adult tutor with Read for Literacy. She was a Eucharistic minister at St. Joan of Arc Church from its inception in 1984. She taught religion classes to first graders there and was a member of the choir for more than 20 years. Earlier, she was a member of Gesu Church where she also was in the choir. In the 1970s, she was a volunteer religion teacher at St. Ursula Academy where her five daughters graduated. A spirited competitor, she bowled during the 1960s and 1970s in Gesu leagues at University Lanes. A lifelong card-player, she played duplicate bridge at Maumee Senior Center, among other places. She took up tennis at age 44, continuing league play for more than 40 years. She was an enthusiastic traveler. With her husband of 57 years, Gene F. Gebolys, she toured Australia, Russia, Poland, Greece, Italy and Canada, among other international destinations, as well as most of the U.S. She moved to Fort Myers in 2016. Eleanor is survived by their seven children, Terese (Jon) Gustafson of Sanibel, FL; James (Micah) of Noblesville, IN; Glenna (Richard) Feller of Phoenix, AZ; Debra (Victoria Olano) of Columbus, OH; Kathy (Chris) Copeland of Scappoose, OR; Gene (Jacquie) of Winchester, MA; and Beth (Geoff) Pihl of Mooresville, NC. Also surviving are grandchildren CJ and Erin Feller, Laurie and Jon Gustafson, Nicole Broderick and Lauren and Heather Gebolys, Ronnie Olano, Max, Lucas and Lia Gebolys, Jessey St. Jean, Jason Dorce and Cira and Ben Pihl, great grandchildren Madelaine (Ocean) McDermott, Jaxon Gustafson, Ayden Broderick and William Johnson, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Gene (2007); sister, Mildred Seibenick, and brother, Joseph Cira, both of Toledo, OH. Her immediate family will celebrate her life at a private memorial near Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. Mrs. Gebolys donated her body to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Hope Hospice, 9470 Healthpark Cir, Fort Myers, FL 33908.

Eleanor N Gebolys

March 3, 1926 - July 16, 2022