Perdura

What’s included

Every piece we can use to tell your person’s story — a welcome, their photos, a timeline, the places they lived, candles, and more. Here’s how each one looks.

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A welcome

In Loving Memory

Eleanor Margaret Hayes

1938 – 2024

A gardener, a letter-writer, and the steady center of a big, loud, loving family.

Eleanor as a young woman, 1950s

At a glance

At a Glance

Born
March 4, 1938 · Asheville, NC
Home
Portland, Oregon
Married
Walter, for 58 years
Known for
Her garden & her bread

A number that says it all

86years

of making the world a little warmer than she found it.

A chapter of their story

Eleanor as a young woman, 1950s

Early years

A girl with dirt under her nails

Eleanor was born in the spring of 1938 and spent her childhood with dirt under her nails and a book in her lap. She believed in two things without reservation: that anything could grow with enough patience, and that a handwritten note could change someone’s whole week.

Another chapter, the other way

Family gathering in the backyard, 1980s

A full house

Room for one more

She married young, raised five children, and somehow always had room at the table for one more. Her garden fed the neighborhood; her kitchen fed everyone else. People remember the smell of her bread, the sound of her laugh, and the way she made each grandchild feel like the favorite.

The things they loved

A Few of Her Favorite Things

  • Gardening
  • Baking
  • Friday bridge
  • Big-band records
  • Mystery novels
  • Lakeside walks
  • Strong coffee
  • Her grandkids

A life, itemized

A Life, Itemized

Eleanor Margaret Hayes · 1938 – 2024

  • Summers enjoyed86
  • Children raised5
  • Grandchildren11
  • Loaves of bread∞
  • Gardens grown1 (legendary)
  • Hands of bridge wonmost

TOTALOne life, well lived

· · · thank you · · ·

Their photos

  • Eleanor as a young woman, 1950s
  • Eleanor in her garden, 1970s
  • Family gathering in the backyard, 1980s
  • Eleanor with her grandchildren, 1990s
  • A summer afternoon by the lake
  • Eleanor laughing at the kitchen table

A timeline of their life

A Life in Moments

The Carolina years

  1. 1938Born in Asheville, North Carolina
  2. Grew up barefoot in the Blue Ridge foothills

A family of her own

  1. 1959Married the love of her life, Walter
  2. 1961–1972Raised five children
  3. 1984Planted the garden everyone remembers

A life in color

  1. 2009Took up watercolor at seventy-one
  2. 2024Passed peacefully in Portland, Oregon

Their timeline, side by side

A Life, Side by Side

The Carolina years

  1. 1938Born in Asheville, North Carolina
  2. Grew up barefoot in the Blue Ridge foothills

A family of her own

  1. 1959Married the love of her life, Walter
  2. 1961–1972Raised five children
  3. 1984Planted the garden everyone remembers

A life in color

  1. 2009Took up watercolor at seventy-one
  2. 2024Passed peacefully in Portland, Oregon

A shorter timeline

The Same Moments, Compact

The Carolina years

  1. 1938Born in Asheville, North Carolina
  2. Grew up barefoot in the Blue Ridge foothills

A family of her own

  1. 1959Married the love of her life, Walter
  2. 1961–1972Raised five children
  3. 1984Planted the garden everyone remembers

A life in color

  1. 2009Took up watercolor at seventy-one
  2. 2024Passed peacefully in Portland, Oregon

A life in numbers

A Life in Numbers

  • 86Years of life
  • 5Children
  • 11Grandchildren
  • 58Years married
  • 1Famous garden

Where they lived

Where She Lived

  1. Asheville, NC1938–1959
  2. Denver, CO1959–1988
  3. Portland, OR1988–2024

Memories from family & friends

Memories from Family & Friends

  • Grandma could make anyone feel like the most important person in the room. I miss her already.

    — Her granddaughter, Mia

  • Fifty years of Friday bridge and she never once let me win. I loved her for it.

    — Her friend, Dorothy

  • She taught me that a garden — like a family — only grows if you tend it every single day.

    — Her son, Tom

  • The whole neighborhood ate her bread. The whole neighborhood will miss her.

    — A neighbor

A line to remember

Plant the tree anyway. You won’t sit in its shade, but someone will.

— Eleanor

Light a candle

Light a Candle

A small light, in memory of Eleanor.

142 candles lit

Family

The Family They Built

Husband
Walter Hayes
Children
Ruth, James, Carol, Tom & Anne
Grandchildren
Eleven, each her favorite
Great-grandchildren
Four, and counting

Share a memory

The same page, in a darker palette

86years

of making the world a little warmer than she found it.

A Life, Itemized

Eleanor Margaret Hayes · 1938 – 2024

  • Summers enjoyed86
  • Children raised5
  • Grandchildren11
  • Loaves of bread∞
  • Gardens grown1 (legendary)
  • Hands of bridge wonmost

TOTALOne life, well lived

· · · thank you · · ·

The Things She Loved

  • Gardening
  • Baking
  • Friday bridge
  • Big-band records
  • Mystery novels
  • Lakeside walks
  • Strong coffee
  • Her grandkids

Palettes to choose from