Loving, devoted wife of 72 years, caring mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Eleanor Vlastelica passed away peacefully in the presence of family on January 12th, 2024. Eleanor K Vlastelica was born on March 5th, 1927 in Shelton, Washington to Peter and Susan Krebs. She attended school in the Hoquiam, Washington School District. Eleanor married her loving husband Paul Vlastelica at Our Lady of Good Help Catholic Church in Hoquiam, Washington. The two were married for 72 years until his death in January 2019. Eleanor worked for the State of Washington Highway Department for many years as the Office Manager. Eleanor also served as a member of St. Teresa’s guild for some time.
Words will never be able to express how much Eleanor meant to her family and friends. She spent her life caring for the needs of family and others through selfless love and devotion. Eleanor often spoke fondly of her early years with her late husband Paul, back at a time when young people gathered to dance or sing. Eleanor exemplified our family’s quintessential, wise, classic, and loving matriarch. For decades, families gathered for special occasions, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinners. Meals, better than any restaurant, were carefully prepared and displayed in perfect arrays. These feasts were often followed by Eleanor hopping on the piano with Paul singing tunes of old. Children and grandchildren often stuffed from dinner, listened on while trying to make room for the dessert that followed. Life will never be the same without our sweet Eleanor. Yet, we take solace in knowing Eleanor had great faith and is now in the loving hands of our Lord in heaven.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband Paul Vlastelica; parents Peter and Susan Krebs; and brothers Robert and Jack Krebs. She is survived by her son Dan Vlastelica; daughter Connie McClary; grandchildren Lisa Arbacauskas, Jodi Neil, and Jakob Vlastelica; and great-grandchildren Audrey Arbacauskas, Caleb Arbacauskas, Aiden Neil, Wendy Neil, and Alice Neil.
A funeral will be held at 11 a.m. today (Tuesday, Jan. 23) at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aberdeen followed by a reception in the parish hall.
