Eleonora Noryk, 86, of Kennewick, Washington, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, May 14, 2025.  Eleonora was born on May 27, 1938, in Minsk, Belarus.  She and her family left Belarus in June 1944 in the midst of World War II and spent the next six years mostly in various displaced persons (“DP”) camps in Germany.  After the war, sponsored by the Church World Service (CWS), she and her family set sail in August 1950 from Bremerhaven, Germany, for New York on the military transport ship USNS General Hersey, arriving in New York harbor on August 17, 1950.  Eleonora and her family settled in New York City’s lower east side.  There, in 1958, Eleonora met her future husband Leonard Noryk at a New Year’s Eve dance.  They married on November 22, 1958, and soon thereafter settled in Ellington, Connecticut.  They moved to South Windsor, Connecticut, in the summer of 1971.  After Leonard passed away in September 2002, Eleonora continued to live in South Windsor until May 2004, at which time she moved to Snoqualmie, Washington, to live near her daughter and son-in-law.  In 2012, they all relocated to Richland, Washington, where Eleonora remained until moving to Kennewick, Washington, in February 2025.

Eleonora as a little girl was nicknamed “Kinusia” and was known to her family and friends by that name.  As a World War II survivor, she had a practical, indomitable spirit that was often belied by her femininity.  In her youth, she was sometimes compared to Audrey Hepburn.  Lipstick was a must.  She loved fine fragrances—Shocking by Schiaparelli, Shalimar by Guerlain, Allure by Chanel—to name a few, and had a love for lilac flowers. She had a fondness for rings and necklaces, and she kept a small, carefully curated collection of both.  She enjoyed particularly reproductions offered by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which she had visited frequently while living in New York City.  Art, music, literature, and poetry were important to her, and two Belarusian writers she enjoyed were Janka Kupala and Maksim Bahdanovic.  She could be playful in company and enjoyed a good party. She and Leonard entertained often, and the scent of food being prepared mingled with the aroma of Shalimar is an evocative memory for her children. She enjoyed ballroom dancing, for which she and Leonard were considered a well-matched couple. She also loved cats, and she kept one throughout her life.

Eleonora is survived by her daughter Nina Multari of Kennewick, Washington, and her ex-Son-in-law Nicholas Multari of Richland, Washington; her son Victor Noryk and Daughter-in-law Mary Noryk of Tolland, Connecticut; their three children Melissa (Gunnar) Norback of Cheshire, Connecticut, Heather (Greg) Roto of Eastford, Connecticut, and Kyle Noryk of Vernon, Connecticut; one grandson, Paul Roto; and her beloved, 18-plus-year-old cat, Iris.

A private cremation was held on May 19, 2025.  Eleonora will be interred at a later date next to her husband at the St. Mary of Zyrovicy cemetery in East Brunswick, New Jersey.  Memorial donations may be made to Heartlinks Hospice (heartlinkshospice.org) or to the Benton Franklin Humane Society (bfhs.com).