Eleanor Clague

Norie McIlvaine Clague died peacefully at the Meadows Care Center in Napa, Calif. on Saturday, March 19, 2011.

She was born in Philadelphia on Aug. 31, 1922 to Reuben and Ruth Brower McIlvaine.

An important part of her life was her affiliation as a camper and as a counselor at Camp Hagen on the Delaware River.

She graduated from Cheltenham High School and the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. There she met Donald Clague and they married in 1944.

Virginia and David arrived in 1945 and 1948. In 1957, Don was transferred with Philco to California. In 1961 Steven was born with special needs.

In 1966, Don was transferred ‘home’ to Philadelphia and Don, Norie and Steven moved to Jenkintown and later to Meadowbrook.

She was a deacon at Abington Presbyterian Church, President of the Abington Civic Club and of Coterie. She was an advocate for handicapped rights, (but not mainstreaming) and was active in the Delaware Valley Association for Children With Learning Disabilities.

Steven died in 1982 and Don in 1985. Norie began Naomi’s group at church for single women to support each other and socialize.

In 1995, she moved to the Meadows of Napa Valley to be nearer her children, Gary and Ginny Heitz of Calistoga, Calif. and Dave and Andrea Clague of Los Altos, Calif.

She is also survived by grandchildren, Lisa Heitz Meyer and her husband, Jeff of Rancho Murieta, Calif., Peter Heitzand his wife, Meg of Calistoga and Gillian Clague of Santa Barbara, Calif.; and great-grandchildren, Amelia and Elijah Heitz and Olivia and Tessa Meyer.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Alan McIlvaine of Scottsdale, Ariz.