Obituary of Eleanor E. Taravella

Eleanor Emily Taravella, age 94, passed away in the early morning hours of August 9, 2024 at Norwalk Hospital after a brief illness. She was most recently a resident of Atria in Darien, CT.

Eleanor was born in Manhattan to Emilie and George Rapp on November 19, 1929. After her parents’ early deaths, she was raised by her stepmother, Hannah Rapp. She graduated from Cathedral High School in 1947. She first worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company before becoming a telephone operator with New York Telephone, where she worked until retirement. She devotedly raised her family with Charles, her husband of 49 years, in Brooklyn and Queens before moving to Southbury, CT in their retirement.

As her family and friends knew very well, Eleanor was a lifelong storyteller.  She was able to recall with great detail the people she knew and her many life experiences as a young woman, wife and mother.  She loved nothing more than being sociable and spending time with the friends she easily made.  She loved to read, and enjoyed music, theater and dance, especially when her grandchildren were involved. After raising her own children, she often took care of her young grandchildren.  Eleanor was full of life and sharp as a tack into her later years.

Eleanor is survived by her 3 children. Her son, Joseph Taravella of Hopewell Junction, New York; his children: Nicole and her husband Kevin Ly, and their 2 children; Lisa and her husband Michael Rohrssen, and their son; and Gina and her husband Aaron Bsales. Her son, Paul Taravella and his partner Patricia Copeland of Huntington, New York. Her daughter, Emily Taravella DiTaranto and her husband Mark DiTaranto of Rowayton, CT, and their children, Tony DiTaranto and his partner Maria Caputo, Alexandra DiTaranto and Juliet DiTaranto. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Taravella and daughter-in-law Nancy Montella Taravella.

Visitation will be held at Lawrence Funeral Home in Darien on Friday, August 16, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Funeral service will be held at St. John Church of Darien on Saturday, August 17, at 10:00 am. Interment at St. Charles Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York, will follow at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to any worthy organization of your choosing.  The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the staff at Atria Darien and Norwalk Hospital.