Teacher, poet and artist never stopped dreaming, imagining and connecting others
To Eleanor Ott of Maple Corner, bringing people together was as natural as breathing. As a teacher, writer, poet, artist and general instigator of shenanigans, she connected an ever-expanding universe of like-minded colleagues, soulmates, children, pets and spirits. Sitting in her breakfast nook with phone in hand, she networked, solved problems and wove the fabric of her numerous communities. She had more circles than the rings around Saturn. Eleanor was a longtime member of the Scribblers, a circle of Central Vermont writers. “She was the mentor and elder who kept the group going,” wrote her friend Andy Christiansen. The group also helped Eleanor keep going. At the time of her death, on August 13, 2023, at home, Eleanor had been dealing with Parkinson’s disorder for decades. She was also the driving force behind the Runes Group, a circle of friends who researched Norse myths, celebrated the solstices and gathered for weekly feasts in Eleanor’s book-stuffed dining room. If a topic sparked an interest, she had a book on it — or 50. From 1969 to 1985, she taught anthropology and folklore at Goddard College, where she was honored during a graduation for her teaching, advising, leading, innovating and committee chairing. “If we didn’t have an Eleanor Ott,” said the president, “we’d have to invent her.” Students recall her courses on William Blake, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and one called “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About a Stone Wall but Were Too Afraid to Ask.” After retirement, she mentored independent students keen on learning about shamanism, Viking runes or the meaning of North. Eleanor Ann Kokar Ott was the daughter of Helen and Paul Forster. Born on August 20, 1936, she was raised in Bristol, Pa. Her brief marriage to Thomas Ott ended in divorce. After a BA in philosophy and literature at Wilson College and an MA in education at Harvard-Radcliffe, Eleanor received her PhD in anthropology and folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. Between colleges, she spent a year bicycling alone the length and breadth of Britain. Eleanor was an avid birder, which could make driving with her terrifying. She’d pull over suddenly, whip out her field glasses, and exclaim, “Look! A Merlin!” while her passengers’ hearts thumped in fright. Birding sealed the bond with Nancy deGroff, an outdoor educator whom Eleanor met in graduate school in 1959. Together they traveled the British Isles and…
Teacher, poet and artist never stopped dreaming, imagining and connecting others
To Eleanor Ott of Maple Corner, bringing people together was as natural as breathing. As a teacher, writer, poet, artist and general instigator of shenanigans, she connected an ever-expanding universe of like-minded colleagues, soulmates, children, pets and spirits. Sitting in her breakfast nook with phone in hand, she networked, solved problems and wove the fabric of her numerous communities. She had more circles than the rings around Saturn. Eleanor was a longtime member of the Scribblers, a circle of Central Vermont writers. “She was the mentor and elder who kept the group going,” wrote her friend Andy Christiansen. The group also helped Eleanor keep going. At the time of her death, on August 13, 2023, at home, Eleanor had been dealing with Parkinson’s disorder for decades. She was also the driving force behind the Runes Group, a circle of friends who researched Norse myths, celebrated the solstices and gathered for weekly feasts in Eleanor’s book-stuffed dining room. If a topic sparked an interest, she had a book on it — or 50. From 1969 to 1985, she taught anthropology and folklore at Goddard College, where she was honored during a graduation for her teaching, advising, leading, innovating and committee chairing. “If we didn’t have an Eleanor Ott,” said the president, “we’d have to invent her.” Students recall her courses on William Blake, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and one called “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About a Stone Wall but Were Too Afraid to Ask.” After retirement, she mentored independent students keen on learning about shamanism, Viking runes or the meaning of North. Eleanor Ann Kokar Ott was the daughter of Helen and Paul Forster. Born on August 20, 1936, she was raised in Bristol, Pa. Her brief marriage to Thomas Ott ended in divorce. After a BA in philosophy and literature at Wilson College and an MA in education at Harvard-Radcliffe, Eleanor received her PhD in anthropology and folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. Between colleges, she spent a year bicycling alone the length and breadth of Britain. Eleanor was an avid birder, which could make driving with her terrifying. She’d pull over suddenly, whip out her field glasses, and exclaim, “Look! A Merlin!” while her passengers’ hearts thumped in fright. Birding sealed the bond with Nancy deGroff, an outdoor educator whom Eleanor met in graduate school in 1959. Together they traveled the British Isles and…