Gorham – Eleanor A. (Atripaldi) Hannigan, 86 of Gorham passed away after a long illness Saturday, July 4, 2020.
Eleanor was born in Portland on October 27, 1933 the daughter of the late Vincenzo Atripaldi and Mary (Rodonda) Atripaldi. Eleanor grew up on Munjoy Hill in Portland, Maine and graduated from Portland High School Class of 1951. It was then that she met her future husband, Louis J Hannigan. They immediately fell in love and were married New Year’s Eve 1955.
They enjoyed 63 years of marriage, until the untimely death of Louis on February 7th, 2019. Being able to travel was a great pleasure for them. For their 25th anniversary, they traveled to Hawaii. In their later years, they were able to fulfill their dream, traveling to visit relatives in Italy and Ireland. Fulfilling another lifelong dream, together they attended the Tournament of Roses Parade in 2006 for their 50th. Together they raised four children. As a family, they enjoyed traveling and many summers in their Portland backyard by the pool. Eleanor will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and sister.
Eleanor had different roles throughout the years; secretary for the Teamsters Union, Office Manager for the South Portland Housing Authority, Administrator for the Portland Police Department, Secretary for St. Josephs Parish Church. In 1981, Louis and Eleanor went out on their own to establish what eventually became Hannigan Associates Tax and Payroll until their retirement.
Eleanor was a devout Catholic whose strong faith helped her throughout life. Eleanor always stayed active in church activities through the years.
In addition to her parents, Eleanor was predeceased by her husband Louis, their son Thomas, two brothers, Andrew and Louis, and four sisters, Susie, Jenny, Rosie, and Philomena. Eleanor is survived by her daughters, Lindajean and her husband Mark Russo, Debbie and her husband Bill Anctil, her son Michael and his wife Janice, her daughter-in-law Karen, her five grandchildren, Scott, Jenna, Zachery, Julia and Christopher, her five great grandchildren, Zachery Jr., Lukas, Kayleigh, Ethan and Emily and by her brother, Johnny.
The family would like to thank the nursing staff at the Hawthorne Unit at Sedgewood as well as Northern Light Hospice for their excellent care for Eleanor.
At dawn one wakes to see the night retire.
How I wish that there was some wonderful place called The Land of Beginning Again,
Where all our mistakes and all our heartaches and all our poor selfish grief could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door, never to be put on again.
Since life is short and death so very near, could we not walk the road God makes so clear?
At dawn one wakes to see the night retire.
Poem written by Eleanor in November 2011
A time of visitation will be held from 10AM to 11AM Friday, July 10 at the A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Ave in Portland, where a Catholic Service will follow at 11AM. Interment will follow at New Calvary Cemetery, South Portland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in the memory of Eleanor may be made to: Northern Light Home Care and Hospice, 50 Foden Rd, South Portland, ME 04106. The family would like to invite all that knew Eleanor to join them by logging on to A.T. Hutchins’ Facebook page to view the service. (www.facebook.com/athutchinsfuneral). For those that do not have a Facebook account, you will only be able to view the service once it is complete and posted.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Eleanor A. (Atripaldi) Hannigan, please visit our floral store.
Northern Light Homecare and Hospice
50 Foden Road, South Portland ME 04106