STILLWATER
Elinor Anna Gray Coulter of Stillwater, NY, a loving wife and mother, passed away Saturday, September 24, 2016 at Saratoga Hospital, with her family in attendance, after a long courageous battle with illnesses.

Elinor, who always was and considered herself a country girl, was born in Cambridge, NY on January 26, 1932 to her loving parents Clifford Marshall Gray and Francie (Decker) Gray of Shushan, NY. She was brought up on her family’s dairy farm. She attended a one-room schoolhouse on the banks of the Batten Kill river near Camden Valley, NY for the first three years of her education and then switched to Washington Academy in Salem, NY, where she met her future husband, classmate Livingston Trevor Coulter with whom she graduated in 1951. The graduating class only had 31 classmates, all of whom have remained life-long friends.

Elinor was predeceased by her parents, her beloved stepmom, Mary Gray, her brother Clifford C. Gray, her stepsister Elizabeth Rich, her grandparents, Dr. Marshall Gray and Anna Gray, Frank Decker, and Peter and Mabel Clark, and her various uncles and aunts, cousins and sisters-in-law, all of whom she loved

Left surviving to cherish her never-ending love and memories are her husband, Livingston Trevor, their four children and spouses: Marshall Trevor (Elizabeth) Coulter, Francie (Eric) Christenson, Cornell Livingston Coulter, and Sara Beth (Ronald) Eafrato; her grandchildren Ryan Marshall Coulter, Isabella Marie Eafrato, Trevor Christenson, and Lindsey Christenson, and her great grandchild, Brayden Coulter; and her sister and brother-in-law, Sylvia and Charles Wilson as well as many beloved nieces and nephews, and her cherished friends.


Elinor was devoted to her husband, children, church, and community. She was known for her kindness, friendship, empathy, and volunteer work. Married for 62 plus years, as a young wife she gave up a career to support Trevor by working as he got his education to become an attorney. She held jobs, among others, at the New York Telephone Company and as a dental office receptionist, while Trevor got his Bachelor’s degree from Union College and his law degree from Albany Law School. She traveled with him to Alaska, right after their marriage in 1954, when he worked on the Alaska Railroad, to Germany where he served for four years in the Army Counter Intelligent Corps, and to rural Westchester County, when he began his legal career as a trial lawyer at a NYC Wall Street law firm and then at AT&T.

In 1966, Elinor and Trevor and their then-family of three children moved to their present horse farm home on the banks of the Hudson River, when Trevor accepted a trial partner position with a old, respected Albany law firm. There a fourth child arrived. The children all soon grew up. Elinor, whose own mother died of cancer when she was 16, cherished her role as a mother and considered their achievements to be her greatest accomplishment. She was the kind of mother who had warm cookies waiting after school, who taught her children that anything was possible with hard work, and who encouraged their every interest. She went to every school and athletic and organization event involving the children over the years, including the 4-H where she was a club leader, and was their biggest supporter, most devoted teacher, and best adviser.

Every winter, while the children were growing up, the family spent several weeks in Florida vacationing, and in the summer spent many weeks at Pilot Knob on Lake George as well as on long canoe and tenting trips throughout the Adirondacks and up at Beaver Lodge on 13th Lake.

As soon as all of her children graduated from high school and went off to college and their own careers, Elinor began working part-time at various jobs-with her Albany dentist she had previously worked for, with the Saratoga County Clerk’s Office and finally with the Cox Enterprise’s Clifton Park Auto Auction for which she worked for 26 plus years and made many life-long friends. In 1983, Trevor, who had been a partner in several well-known Albany law firms over the years, opened up his own law practice in Schuylerville, NY, ten minutes from their family farm to (hopefully) have more time with Elinor and family. They always enjoyed visiting their two children who settled in California and in trips to Mexico.

Elinor has always been a devoted church member, volunteer and congregation official. She served on the Stillwater Library Board and the Stillwater Food Pantry Staff, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels for many years, delivering meals in the Stillwater-Mechanicville region. She reveled in the love of her neighbors, many friends, and relatives, visiting them whenever possible.

She was a wonderful and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother as well as the truest friend ever. She was a great animal lover, who never turned away a stray and relished the family dogs and cats and their companionship.

She will deeply missed by all who knew her.
A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday at 11 AM at the DeVito-Salvadore Funeral Home, 39 So. Main St., Mechanicville.
Calling hours at the Funeral Home on Friday from 4-7 PM.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society or the ASPCA in fond memory of Elinor A. Coulter

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