Sept. 7, 1926 - Feb. 8, 2016
Eleanor Mary Grace (Thomson) Kolbe passed away peacefully at 4:30pm, Monday, February 8,2016 in Carson City, Nevada. She was born in Ferndale, Michigan on September 7, 1926, to Roderick and Grace (Cooper)Thomson. Eleanor graduated from Royal Oak High School, Michigan on June 6,1944. She earned her bachelors degree in Journalism from Michigan State University in 1948 and was an active member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. In the early 1950’s she headed west with then late husband Theodore William Kolbe, first settling in the bay area of San Francisco. She fell in love with the western landscape of mountains, desert and water, moving to Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, CA, Marla Bay, NV and then finally settled into Carson City in 1971. Eleanor held many jobs before finding her true calling as a social worker specializing in child services for the state of Nevada where she retired after many years of service. Eleanor was an avid reader of history and architecture. She became a member and docent of the Nevada Historical Society. During a brief stay in Pensacola, FL she volunteered in the research area of the National Museum of Naval Aviation. She was a long time member of St.Peter’s Episcopal Church where she enjoyed singing in the choir in her younger years. She would often be found with adopted dogs or cats living with her, in the beginning specializing in one eyed Pekinese.
She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Arthur Thomson. Eleanor is survived by her sons: Kurt Kolbe, residing in Carson City, and his twins Karsten and Kolton Kolbe of Fresno, CA.; and Erich Kolbe, his wife Kristen Lynn and daughter Sarah Elizabeth Fowers, of the Reno area. In addition, she is survived by her sister Marian Dean, niece Ellen Stewart, nephew Jay Dean, of Indiana, and nephew Richard Dean of Minnesota, and their families. In Ohio she is survived by sister-in-law Sherry Thomson; nephews Arthur (Rod) Thomson and Bruce Thomson, and niece Ruth Chestnut and their respective families. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, February 20th,at 4:00pm at Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church of Carson City (314 North Division Street). An additional celebration of Eleanor’s life will conclude with a family gathering and her interment in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at a later date. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in her name to Saint Peter’s Episcopal Church oryour favorite charity.
