- Date Of Birth: January 27, 1936
- Date Of Death: May 29, 2017
- State: New York
Eleanor Sieh (Dr. Sieh to her many students), a music teacher who enriched the lives of countless children in Larchmont and Mamaroneck passed away very peacefully on Monday, May 29, 2017 at The Kensington Assisted Living Residence in White Plains, New York; she was 81. Eleanor was a remarkable, intelligent, creative, and very funny person. She was a musician, educator, writer, and artist. She played and taught all instruments, wrote murder mysteries, and made beautiful jewelry.
Eleanor was born on January 27, 1936 in Muskegon, Michigan to George and Ruby (Chase) Becker. She went to the University of Michigan at age 16 and graduated with her master’s in music and history at age 20. Her main instruments were bassoon and cello, but she could play anything! She also met her husband, Theodore Sieh, at the University of Michigan. Theodore was from China and was studying music and English when they met. They married in Princeton, New Jersey, and eventually moved to New York City.
While Eleanor was working toward a Ph.D. in music education at Teachers College, Columbia University, she found out about a music teaching position in the Mamaroneck Public Schools. This would be the start of a career that spanned more than 40 years until her retirement in 2007. She taught general music, junior high chorus, orchestra, and chamber ensemble to generations of children including her own daughter, son, and even grandson. While teaching, Eleanor always continued to be a performer. She frequently played in concerts at local parks and regularly performed for the conducting class at Teachers College for many years. Always creating, always learning, always teaching, Eleanor lived a wonderful, fulfilling life. She was admired for her kindness, generosity, and depth of understanding. She was well loved and will be greatly missed by all her friends and family.
Eleanor was a member of Larchmont Avenue Church in Larchmont, New York.
Eleanor is survived by her son, Peter, and daughter, Catherine Birchard, both of Mamaroneck, New York, as well as her grandson, Dylan Birchard of Brooklyn, New York, and her sister, Marge Butler of Muskegon, Michigan. Besides her husband, Theodore Sieh, she was predeceased by her brother, George Becker.
