Eleanor M. (Brennan) Hogan, 92, wife of the late Gerald R. Hogan died on Thursday, August 6, 2015 at Grosvenor Park Rehabilitation after a brief illness. She was born in Salem, MA on December 25,1922 to the late John J. Brennan and Katherine F. (Conlin)Brennan.
A communicant of the Immaculate Conception Church, Eleanor attended St Mary's grammar school and graduated from Salem High School, class of 1940. She attended Salem State College and graduated from Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in Boston. After graduation and during WWII, she worked as a civilian for the Department of the Navy, both at the old Boston Garden building and in Park Square. Eleanor moved on to work for the law offices of Hill, Blake and Berkal in Salem until her daughters were born. Eleanor married Gerald R. Hogan in 1953 and had two daughters, Martha M. Hogan and Rosemary Hogan Dunning, both of Salem.

Eleanor returned to the work force when her children were older and was employed for a short time at the Atwood and Morrill, Essex County Registry of Deeds and the law office of Alfred Dobbs. In 1969 Eleanor returned to work full-time for the City of Salem as a principal clerk in the police department for the City Marshall/Police Chief. Eleanor served as secretary for City Marshalls John Tully, Charles Connolly and John Regan, and Police Chief Robert St Pierre. She was often complimented by the City Auditor on the great job she did in preparing the police department budget in an era that preceded the use of computer programs for the job. Eleanor retired from her position in 1989.

Eleanor was active in the Convent Guild of St. Mary School while her daughters were attending school. She was a member for over fifty years in the Catholic Daughters of America and was an officer at various times. After retirement, Eleanor was active in the Salem AARP and The Women's Friend Society. Eleanor was an officer in the Women's Friend Society and acted as a recording secretary and had chaired the Outreach Committee. Eleanor enjoyed participating in many bus trips to visit different museums, attractions, etc. with the Peabody Essex Museum and the Council on Aging. She enjoyed being "the driver" and picked up her friends for meetings, lunch or grocery shopping trips. Eleanor was an avid reader, a lover of various PBS miniseries and was a great knitter who loved to make Guernsey sweaters both for family and the church bazaar. She used to say she didn't know how she ever had time to work she was so busy for much of her retirement. She also loved summer days spent at the family home in Wolfeboro, NH and going to the beaches of Lake Wentworth and Winnipesaukee.

In addition to her daughters, who were her pride and joy, Eleanor leaves her two loving grandsons, Joseph Patrick Dunning, a senior at Vassar College and Brian James Dunning, a freshman at Endicott College, both of Salem. They were the light of her life and she spent many precious hours babysitting for them where she read them stories over and over, played bubbles and splashed in the sink, baked cookies together, and knitted them sweaters. In later years she was proud to attend their musical and theatrical performances in the music and theater department at Salem High School.
She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

Eleanor also leaves one cousin, Mary Elizabeth (Betty)Shea of Salem. She was predeceased by her son in law, James V. Dunning.

Eleanor's funeral mass will take place on Tuesday, August 11 at 11AM from the Immaculate Conception Church, 15 Hawthorn Blvd, Salem followed by burial in St. Mary's Cemetery, North St. Salem, MA. Visiting hours are at the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., (cor of North St) on Monday, August 10 from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. For additional information or on line guestbook please call 978 744 0497 or visit www.MurphyFunerl Home.com.