Eleanor Dudley
Eleanor Dudley, 86, passed away on September 11th, 2025, at her home in the rolling hills of Ha'ikū, following a brief battle with cancer. One of five children, Eleanor was born in Baldwin Park, California, on December 31, 1938, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1962. She earned her bachelor's degree in English literature, but travel was her first love. Fresh out of college, she bought an around-the-world ticket, and took that journey–and the many that followed–almost always traveling solo. She planned to see as many different countries as the number of her years. By the time of her death, she had visited 100, making friends and staying in touch with people all over the globe.
Eleanor worked for the Internal Revenue Service and in ticketing for TWA. In 1980, she moved to Maui, trained in Waldorf education, and taught for more than 30 years at Haleakala Waldorf School in Kula and Hui Malama Learning Center in Wailuku. She also served on the board of Maui Huliau Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote environmental literacy and leadership among Maui's youth through community-based educational experiences and filmmaking.
Eleanor was an avid gardener, maintaining a one-acre flower farm and selling her tropical blooms on Saturdays at the Maui Swap Meet. She also enjoyed volunteering for the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, and singing in several Maui choirs.
At the time of her death, Eleanor was at work on Life Lessons, a book she hoped would be a collaborative venture, with readers contributing lessons of their own. Among hers: Do what you love in your professional life. Get to know people before judging them. Take responsibility for your own actions. Learn when to ask for help. Eat real food. Remember that the quality of life is more important than money. Love isn't love until you give it away.
She devoted the first three lessons on her list to advice she never stopped following herself: Have a positive attitude. Surround yourself with positive people. Invest in positive experiences that are important to you. One of the last things she told family and friends was, “Don't be sad for me. I'm embarking on my greatest journey.”
Eleanor was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Flornene Dudley; and is survived by her brothers Don, Ron and Bob Dudley; daughter Viva (Jay) Youngman, of Grass Valley, California; grandchildren Sammy and Jaycee; great-grandson Jaymeson; and the myriad friends whose lives she made better by knowing her.
Contributions in her memory may be made to Maui Huliau Foundation at www.mauihuliaufoundation.org.