Eleanor Sleight

Eleanor Friend Sleight, 95 of Orlando passed away on March 2, 2008. Born November 9, 1912 in St. Louis, Missouri she moved to California with her parents when she was a young child. She received B.A and M.A. degrees from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles with majors in anthropology and journalism. Her special love of the Southwest and the native American people led her to work at the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles bevore entering the United States Indian Service on the Navajo Reservation at Fort Defiance, Arizona. After marrying Frederick Sleight she moved to Florida and lived in Mount Dora until 1961 when the family moved to Orlando. She and her husband saw their dream of the creation of the Central Florida Museum and Planetarium come true and in later years she became one of its directors. She also worked as the director of the Brevard County Museum in Cocoa, Florida and the Adolfo de Hostos Museum in Puerto Rico. After 1973 she spent much time on Oaxaca, Mexico doing research and photography in preparation of her book " The Many Faces of Cuilapan." She wrote three books as well as articles for newspapers and periodicals. Her many friends will remember her long travel letters sent to them from her world cruises.

Eleanor is survived by her daughter, Susan Mowry (Bill Hilditch) of Talking Rock, GA; granddaughter, Robin Holley (Brian) of Canton, GA; grandson, Darren Mowry (Karen) of Potomac Falls, VA; cousin, James Fausek of St. Louis, MO and great granddaughters, Faith Janelle Holley, Shea Kimberly Mowry and Anna Eleanor Mowry.

Memorial services will be conducted at 3:00 PM on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Vitas Hospice Charitable Fund, 5151 Adanson Street Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32804 or www.vitascharityfund.org.