**BOSTON, MA** – A prominent figure in Boston’s philanthropic and social circles has died. Eleanor "Ellie” Whitmore Chadwick, an heiress to a historic New England manufacturing fortune, passed away peacefully at her residence in the city’s prestigious Back Bay neighborhood on Tuesday morning. She was 89.
Her death was confirmed by the family’s long-time spokesperson, who stated that Chadwick died of natural causes, surrounded by close family members. No further details were immediately released, and the family has requested privacy during this time.
Chadwick was the last surviving direct descendant of industrialist Josiah Whitmore, who founded Whitmore Textile Mills in Lowell during the height of the Industrial Revolution. While the mills have long since closed, the family’s wealth, carefully managed through trusts and investments, established them as one of Boston’s enduring Brahmin families.
Born in the same Back Bay townhouse where she died, Eleanor Whitmore was a true daughter of Beacon Hill and Back Bay society. She was educated at the Winsor School and later made her debut at a lavish cotillion in the 1950s. In 1957, she married Harrison Chadwick III, a scion of a banking family, in a wedding that was covered extensively by the Boston society pages. He predeceased her in 2003.
Despite her reserved and often private nature, Chadwick was a formidable presence on the city’s cultural and charitable landscape. For more than five decades, she served on the boards of numerous institutions, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New England Conservatory. Her contributions, often made without fanfare, supported everything from conservation efforts at the MFA to scholarship funds for young musicians.
"She was from a generation that believed in quiet service rather than public fanfare," said long-time friend and former museum trustee, Alice Proctor. "Ellie understood that with the good fortune she was born into came a deep responsibility to the city she loved. Her commitment was not just in writing checks, but in showing up, time and again, for meetings, for galas, and for the causes she believed in. Boston has lost a true gentlewoman."
In her later years, Chadwick became known for her meticulously maintained Victorian townhouse on Commonwealth Avenue, a landmark known for its stunning architectural details and the heirloom art collection within.
She was a familiar sight walking her Pembroke Welsh Corgi along the Mall, often stopping to chat with neighbors and dog-walkers with an easy, unpretentious warmth that belied her considerable wealth.
"She was just a lovely lady," said Marta Rodriguez, who worked at a nearby café. "She came in every Saturday for a black coffee and a plain croissant. She always remembered your name and asked about your kids. You would never have guessed she lived in one of those huge houses."
With her passing, a significant chapter in Boston’s social history comes to a close. Eleanor Chadwick was a bridge to a bygone era of old-money gentility and discreet civic duty. Details regarding funeral services are expected to be private, though the family has indicated a public memorial may be planned for a later date to celebrate her life and legacy.
