Obituary of Eleanor Fielding Aldinger

Eleanor Fielding (Crigler) Aldinger, 100, died on November 5, 2014 at The Sequoias in Portola Valley, California Born in Lutherville, Maryland on October 5, 1914, to Edith Norris (Wolf) Crigler and Rev. John Fielding Crigler, she was the third of six children. Eleanor was baptized on November 26, 1914 by Rev. Luther Benaiah Wolf (her maternal grandfather). In 1936, Eleanor graduated from Goucher College in Maryland majoring in Physiology and in 1938 received her Master's degree in Physical Education from the University of Wisconsin �" Madison. Her Master's thesis is titled "Evaluation of Postural Sway as Measured by Shifts in the Center of Gravity and Its Relation to the Intramuscular Pressure of the Antigravity Muscles" and it was subsequently published by the University of Wisconsin - Madison. After graduation, Eleanor taught both high school and college level physical education in Washington, DC until her marriage. Eleanor was married to Albert Robert Aldinger July 17, 1945 at St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charlotte, North Carolina by her father, Rev. John Fielding Crigler. They were married 56 years until Albert's death on January 20, 2002. They lived for many years in Palo Alto, California where Eleanor volunteered at First Lutheran Church in various capacities and also served at the Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. She raised 3 children, Gary William, Edith Caroline, and Karl Frederick. In 1988, they moved to The Sequoias in Portola Valley where she continued to be active in community life. Sewing, swimming, playing bridge, gardening and flower arranging were hobbies that Eleanor particularly enjoyed. In addition, she and Albert traveled extensively throughout the world, both in conjunction with his job and in retirement. They particularly enjoyed cruising. Although she enjoyed sightseeing, she also enjoyed sitting on the deck of a cruise ship while crossing the vast expanse of an ocean just looking at the water. In her later years, she has enjoyed her family, playing bridge with friends, and watching many video travelogues. Eleanor is survived by son Gary W. Aldinger of Kirkland, Washington, daughter Edith C. (Aldinger) Brockmeyer of Aurora, Colorado, and son Karl F. Aldinger of Boise, Idaho; four grandchildren, Suzanne (Aldinger) Herold, Robert Aldinger, Lindsey (Pihl) Astroth, and Kimberly Aldinger; six great grandsons; two brothers Dr. John Fielding Crigler, Jr. and Benner Bittinger Crigler. She was preceded in death by her husband Albert R. Aldinger, her parents, her sisters Elizabeth Aylor Crigler, Catherine Wolf (Crigler) Gebhart, and her brother Norris Wolf Crigler. Eleanor Aldinger was a loving wife, mother and neighbor. She is greatly missed.




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