You never knew when she was going to break into song, but when she did, it was always a joy. Eleanor Pearson, described by newspapers in her heyday as a “continental chanteuse,” died on Jan. 2, 2019, after a brief illness. She was 87 years old.
Born in 1931 (in a taxicab in Manhattan!), Eleanor was the daughter of Helen and Augustino DeBenedetto. She grew up in Astoria, Queens, with the family later moving to Hicksville, Long Island.
Blessed with beauty and a magnificent singing voice, Eleanor left home after high school to explore the world of show business, assuming the stage name Elena Bennett. A lyric soprano, she performed not only in fancy clubs and hotels, but also in other venues like Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and Madison Square Garden. As often as not, she was asked to extend her engagements for weeks. Eleanor was featured on all the top radio stations in the city, and made several television appearances, as well. The New York Daily News, in 1955, wrote “the most exciting new gal vocalist ’round town is pretty Elena Bennett who sings with Jimmy Welch’s Orchestra at China D’Or on Broadway.”
But, it was her gig in the summer of 1953 at Schroon Crest resort in the Adirondack Mountains that led to her favorite role ever. While there, Eleanor starred in a world opera premiere, a play, and a musical revue. Her biggest fan, it turned out, was Bob Pearson, the young and handsome emcee/lifeguard. After initially attempting to match her up with aspiring actor Alan Arkin (with whom Eleanor performed all summer), Bob decided that he wanted her all to himself. In August, 1955, Elena Bennett became Eleanor Pearson, a role she performed with that same star quality for 59 years. He was the love of her life, and they sang many a duet together over the years.
Happily retired from show business, Eleanor, with Bob, raised three children in Woodcliff Lake, N.J. When the kids grew self-sufficient, she fulfilled her dream of attending college (which she loved), earning a B.A. in Childhood Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She worked as a substitute teacher for years, and derived endless satisfaction from having been able to make a difference in children’s lives. She wanted always for all of them to know that they were important and that they were loved. Eleanor devoted the last 25 years of her working life to managing her husband’s medical practice. At home, she devoted herself to cooking, combing through magazines for recipes, gardening, antiquing, and doing whatever she could to help her children.
She is survived by her brother, Frank DeBenedetto, and by her three children, Jeffrey, Lori, and Wendy, and her beloved grandchildren, Samantha and Michael Pearson; Jacob, Sophia, and Sylvie Wise; and, Jesse, Jacqui, and Jordan Abend.
A celebration of her life will be held on Friday, January 4 at 11:00 a.m.at Louis Suburban Chapel, 13-01 Broadway (Route 4 West), Fair Lawn, followed by interment at Cedar Park Cemetery, Paramus, New Jersey.
