Ethel Ann Eldridge, 78, of Skaneateles, passed away on April 6, 2024, following a brief illness. Ann entered her eternal rest just 13 days after the death of Rodney, her husband of 56 years.
Ann was born in 1946 at home in Fort Covington, N.Y., to Harold and Ethel (Bean) Brockway, the youngest of the 15 Brockway children. Throughout her life, she often reminisced about growing up on the family farm and happy times spent there.
In 1964, Ann graduated from Salmon River Central School, where she sang in the Glee Club and Choir and met her lifelong best friend, Ruth (Cherrier) Elmer. She attended the Malone School of Practical Nursing and worked at Alice Hyde Memorial Hospital after becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse in 1965.
One evening at The Franklin in Malone, Ann met Rodney Eldridge. Rod and his friends were playing darts when she and her friends decided to challenge them. Ann and Rod struck up a conversation and discovered she was living right across the street from his family home.
Ann and Rod were married in August 1967 at St. Mary’s in Fort Covington and moved to Copenhagen, N.Y., where Rod began his teaching career. She worked as a nurse until the birth of her daughter Janine in 1968. In 1972, son Jonathan was born. Nurturing her family became her life’s work.
During the family’s years in Carthage, Ann enjoyed spending time with her sister, Sr. John Mary Brockway, at St. James Church and Augustinian Academy. In 1984, they relocated to Binghamton when Rod became a principal at Chenango Forks High School. Five years later, when their children were grown, Ann and Rod moved to a beautiful Victorian home in Bainbridge, N.Y., where she spent many happy years homemaking and gardening. She also enjoyed spending time with Rod operating their antiques business – attending auctions, curating their collections and vending at shows.
Brockway/Leroux family reunions at the farm, Frank’s camp, and in the Fort were especially meaningful to Ann. She cared deeply for her friends and neighbors and had a special bond with the Sisters of St. Joseph, especially Sr. Juliana.
After Rod’s retirement in 2001, Ann and Rod spent time with family, grew their antiques business and did some traveling. Family vacations to Hilton Head, Williamsburg and the Outer Banks with their children and grandchildren are legendary. They relocated to the village of Skaneateles in 2022 to be closer to family in their golden years.
Ann was a devoted wife, providing Rod with love and care during the 56 years they were married. She was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Her family was her greatest source of pride. She loved to stay in touch with her extended family through email and phone calls. Ann especially enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, making each one of them feel special – reading books, doing crafts, cooking, gardening and decorating cookies. She passed along to them her love of nature, plants, flowers and animals.
Her pea salad was requested for every family holiday dinner and she made her last batch of gorp on Easter Sunday. She will be fondly remembered for her love of antiques and shopping, collections, beautiful flower gardens and holiday decorations – but most of all, for her unconditional love.
Ann’s faith was a source of strength, and she faced her final days with courage as she looked forward to being reunited with Rod, her parents, in-laws and 14 siblings: Madeline, Thelma, Gerald, Eloise, Carmel, Joyce, Yvonne, William, June, Jerome, Sr. John Mary, John, Frank and Reata.
She is survived by daughter and son-in-law Janine (Eldridge) and Todd Savage of Skaneateles; son and daughter-in-law Jonathan and Suzanne Eldridge of Owings Mills, MD; grandchildren Krista Savage and Michael Newton of Alden N.Y., Adam and Cassandra Savage of Skaneateles, Brock Savage of Endicott, N.Y., Spencer Eldridge of Dayton, OH, and Nathan Eldridge of Owings Mills, MD; many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends.
Ann’s family extends heartfelt appreciation to the medical and nursing teams of the Upstate Community Hospital ICU for their exemplary care and compassion.
Services will be private.
A celebration of life mass will be held at a future date in Fort Covington, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Rodney and Ethel Ann Eldridge college scholarship fund at Copenhagen Central School – PO Box 30, Copenhagen, NY 13626, ATTENTION: Business Office.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.
