Eleanor Violet (Keller) Smith

Eleanora Violet Keller Smith, known lovingly to those close to her as Ellie or Eleanor, passed away peacefully on March 31, 2026, at the age of 101, in Broomfield, Colorado with her great granddaughter Marloe by her side. A century of living, loving, and giving, her life was a remarkable testament to strength, generosity, and quiet devotion to the people she cherished most.

Eleanora was born on April 20, 1924, in Denver, Colorado, to David Keller and Catharina Baumgaertner Keller. She grew up alongside her siblings, Bennie Keller, Leonard Keller, Bertha Keller, and Irene Keller, in a close-knit family that shaped the kind and giving nature she would carry throughout her entire life. On November 23, 1941, she married the love of her life, Robert Oliver Smith, and the two built a beautiful partnership that would span decades and become the foundation of a growing, vibrant family.

Eleanor was a headstrong lady, and she wore that quality with pride. She was the kind of person who showed up when her family truly needed her, steady and dependable in ways both large and small. Her creativity found expression in the ceramics she crafted and the porcelain dolls she made by hand, carefully styling their hair and sewing their clothes with patience and artistry. She spent long hours canning fruits and vegetables, filling her pantry with the fruits of her labor, and her holiday baking became something her family looked forward to year after year.

Eleanor and Robert shared a love of dancing, and weekends often found them at the Broomfield VFW, where they could be seen together on the dance floor. They also enjoyed fishing together. In their later years, they settled into quieter pleasures, playing Yahtzee and watching Wheel of Fortune side by side.

Eleanor was a proud and active member of the Broomfield VFW, where she served as president for a time. Her spirit of service continued well into her later years as she volunteered with the Broomfield ARC and Habitat for Humanity, always finding ways to give back to the community she called home.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert Oliver Smith; her parents, David and Catharina Keller; her brothers, Bennie and Leonard Keller; her sisters, Bertha and Irene Keller; her niece, Arlene Keller and her son Bobby Smith.

Eleanor is survived by her daughter, Sharon Wilpolt Mullet; her four grandchildren, Craig (Dawn) Wilpolt, Michael (Deseree) Wilpolt, Jennifer Wilpolt, and Kam (Mike) McIntosh; along with eight great-grandchildren and ten great-great-grandchildren. The family she built is her greatest legacy.

She is gone. But rather than shedding tears that she is no longer here, her family encourages you to smile, because she lived. What a life it was.

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