Guestbook

Eleanor “Ellie” Borek
Fife Instructor, Co-Director
Yalesville Junior Ancients

MERIDEN - Eleanor F. (Mancino) Borek, 89, wife of the late George J. Borek, died on Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014. Eleanor was born in Meriden on Jan. 4, 1925; she was the daughter of the late Anthony and Anna (Santoro) Mancino. Eleanor resided in Meriden all of her life. She was employed by the Meriden Board of Education, and worked at Platt High School for 26 years until her retirement in 1994. Eleanor was actively involved in drum corps from an early age of 9, marching with Our Lady of Mount Carmel Drum Corps in Meriden. As a teenager, Eleanor joined City Park Drum Corps, where she met her future husband, George. She was both the musical director and fife instructor for the Yalesville Junior Ancient Fife and Drum Corps. The Yalesville Jrs. was one of the elite ancient fife and drum corps in the late 1960s through the mid 1980s, winning numerous state and northeastern championships. Eleanor wants to thank all of the members of the Yalesville Juniors. Her proudest moments were when all of their hard work and dedication came through when the corps played; she would always get "goose bumps." Eleanor also instructed the Connecticut Yanks from Bristol and Santa Fe from Cheshire. She was also a member of the St. Peter's Drum Corps from Torrington for a number of years. Eleanor was inducted into the New York Fife and Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1993.

She was the Company’s first female Jaybird. As a joke, Ed Olsen, a co-founder of the Company, suggested that female Jaybirds be called “Old Crows”. Needless to say, this was not accepted!!

Eleanor is survived by a son, James and his wife, Patricia, from Amesbury, Mass.; and a daughter, Lori (Borek) Paul and her husband, Kevin, from Wallingford ,Conn.; and son-in-law Daniel Murphy, from Meriden, Conn.; along with the loves of her life - 10 grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.