Eleanor D. Golstein

Eleanor Golstein, née Duke, aged 95, passed away on January 6, 2023, in Hesperus, Colorado, surrounded by her loving children. Born on January 5, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York, Eleanor, at the age of five, embarked on a cross-country journey in her Aunt Pat’s Cadillac convertible to Los Angeles. This marked the beginning of the family’s lifelong attachment to the beautiful Pacific coast and Venice beach. A proud alumna of Santa Monica High School, Eleanor met and married Jerome (Jerry) Golstein and together, welcomed their three children: Neil, Stuart, and Lisa. After surviving polio, Eleanor’s drive for personal achievement led her to UCLA, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and started work on her Masters. She subsequently dedicated over 40 years as an unemployment insurance adjudicator for the State of California, a role she cherished, especially when it involved assisting people with their benefits and the occasional meeting with famous actors (including her girlhood crush, Paul Henreid) in her Santa Monica office. Following her divorce, Eleanor discovered renewed love and companionship with Ed Feigin. These years, filled with shared interests in theater, advocacy for progressive causes, and global exploration on cruise ships, were among her happiest. Her role as a grandmother to Michael and Benjamin was a source of immense joy. In her later years, Eleanor faced the cruel onset of dementia. She moved to Durango for care by her son Neil and his wife, Evid, where she remained until her passing. Eleanor’s memory lives on through her children: Neil and his wife, Evid; Stuart (Susan Courtright), and Lisa Wallerstein (Richard); grandchildren, Michael (Karin) and Ben (Melissa); and her cherished great-grandson, Hudson. Her burial service will be held at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, (5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, California), on Tuesday, January 16 at 1:00 pm. The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to World Central Kitchen or the Anti-Defamation League in Eleanor’s memory.