Eleanor Sorensen

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Eleanor Cecile Sorensen, of Allendale, NJ.  Eleanor passed on the afternoon of May 5, 2026, while hospitalized, with several family members at her bedside.  She was just 68 years old.  The cause of death was pneumonia, which developed while in the hospital, where she was receiving emergency treatment for chronic anemia.

Eleanor was born on December 10, 1957, to parents Andrew C. and Viola S. Sorensen (nee Gran), in the borough of Queens, New York, NY.  She was the fourth of four daughters, preceded in birth by Diane, Andrea, and Laura.  Just a few weeks after her birth, the family moved to Waldwick, NJ, where Eleanor grew up and attended grade school and high school.

She was a naturally gifted student, following in the path of her parents and her sisters, and she graduated first in her class at Waldwick High School in 1976.  Despite her academic success, she would not speak fondly of her school years.  She always put pressure on herself to excel, and therefore found education to be highly stressful.

She attended The University of Toledo in Ohio for one year, studying to be a pharmacist.  However, she missed her parents and friends, and so returned to New Jersey to attend Fairleigh Dickinson University, majoring in Computer Science, and graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Her primary place of employment was HHB Systems, Wyckoff, NJ, a computer engineering firm.  One co-worker described her as ‘a connecter’ - always creating social situations to develop bonds and friendships among her co-workers.

In January of 1982, she met the man she would marry – John F. Pastore.  There was a casual friendship until their first date in August, 1983, which led to a rapid courtship.  They were engaged in January 1984 and married in Ramsey, NJ, on March 23, 1985.

Eleanor and John bought their first house in 1986, in West Milford, NJ.  While living there, their two children were born – Zachary Sorensen Pastore on July 29, 1987, and Jacqueline (Jacqui) Sorensen Pastore on September 4, 1990. 

The family moved to Allendale, NJ, in July 1991, where Eleanor and John raised their family.   

Around the year 2000, Eleanor retired from her computer science career to focus full-time on her children, her husband, her parents, and managing the household.  This allowed Eleanor to focus on her true mission in life – to provide care, support, and guidance to the people she loved.  She was a kind and supportive wife, a devoted mother to her children, a near-daily presence in the lives of her parents, and eventually provided daily care to her mother, Viola, for the final twelve years of her life, after she had moved in with the family.

Retirement from paid employment allowed Eleanor to delve deeper into gardening.  She had joined the Allendale Garden Club in 1993, as the club was emerging from a period of dormancy.  She began to play a leadership role in the garden club, and by about 2010, she was the Allendale Garden Club’s ‘unelected president’, a position she would hold for about 12 years.  Her friendly and welcoming manner would see the club grow and flourish during her tenure.  She cherished the friends she made in the garden club.  One of the things Eleanor was most proud of was the effort she made to keep in touch with former members as they ‘aged-out’ of the garden club.  Informed by what she observed when her mother, Viola, reached her ‘golden years’, and had fewer visitors and dwindling phone calls, Eleanor was diligent about staying engaged with elderly former club members.   

Perhaps Eleanor’s greatest personal attribute was her passion for helping the important people in her life if they had a problem or concern.  If you confided in Eleanor about something you were interested in or struggling with, you could be certain that you would soon hear back from her.  She would have spent time (sometimes hours) doing online research about your problem or concern, and she would get back to you with a detailed report about what she had learned.  She was deeply compassionate and would do nearly anything to help a friend in need. 

Eleanor was preceded in death by her father, Andrew (d. July 7, 2002), and her mother, Viola (d. February 16, 2015).  She is survived by her husband, John F. Pastore, their children, Zachary and Jacqui (and her wife, Maryssa), and her beloved dog Casper.  Each of her sisters also survive her:  Diane Fails (and her husband, Jim, of Fremont, Ohio), Andrea Vapaa (and her husband, George, of Little Switzerland, North Carolina), and Laura Sorensen (and her husband, Steve, of Southington, Connecticut).  Eleanor deeply loved her nieces and nephews, and was happiest when the extended families were together. 

A small service was held on May 9th at Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff, NJ.  Eleanor was buried on May 11th, at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, NY, in a natural meadow, next to her parents.

Donations can be made in her name to the following organizations:

The Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc, Oakland, NJ

WNYC Public Radio, New York, NY

Eleanor often expressed frustration about the human tendency to wait for a funeral or memorial service to say nice things about the important people in our lives.  If you wish to truly honor her memory, tell the people you love or admire what they mean to you.

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