Eleanor Rizzardi

Eleanor Dorothy Rizzardi, a teacher and lover of movies and wine, passed away on June 22, 2026. She now dances in the stars with her beloved Billy.

To honor Eleanor’s memory, please send donations to St. James Lutheran Preschool. Payments can be made by credit card or Zelle using the following link:

https://stjames-preschool.com

Born August 26, 1946 in Queens, NY, Eleanor Dorothy Joost was taught by a Macy’s employee — her mother, Dorothy Eleanor Joost — to appreciate both fashion and education. Meticulous with her clothing, accessories and makeup choices, Ms. Eleanor, the elementary school educator, could easily be mistaken for a Cary Grant movie co-star.

She met and married her soul mate, William Daniel Rizzardi, who truly cherished his wife. Together, Bill and Eleanor started a life on Long Island. Eleanor eventually chose to balance her maternal and homemaker roles with part-time work. So she used her Masters Degree from Stony Brook University to become… a preschool teacher at St. James Lutheran Church. For the next 20 years, Eleanor helped 3 and 4 year olds learn to be kind and to clean up their own messes. She taught those same lessons to her two boys, Keith William and Glenn Daniel Rizzardi, to countless Sunday School students, and eventually, to her six grandchildren, Daniel, Will, Lily, Ava, Grace and Noah Rizzardi.

Despite her teaching skills, Eleanor was no extrovert. Sometimes she seemed reserved, and the premature deaths of her brothers, Philip and Gary Joost, contributed to occasional bursts of melancholy. Yet Eleanor resolutely made the best of life. Encouraged by her husband, she learned to love entertaining, carefully decorating her home for invited guests. She learned to love wine, especially from Long Island vineyards. She learned to love travel, including an epic journey through Italy. 

Most importantly, Eleanor loved Billy’s cooking, so she tastefully designed and equipped her kitchen. True to form, she also instructed Billy and her grandson Will to became two of the neatest chefs in history, always cleaning as they cooked.

After Billy died in 2017, Eleanor left Long Island. Her son Keith tried to relocate her to Florida, but Eleanor feared the humidity would flatten her hair. Instead, Eleanor lived near her son Glenn in North Carolina, and discovered more of life’s joy. Joining in hundreds of everyday family gatherings, she spent time with her grandchildren and the family dogs. Those pets, especially Toby, were known to receive unauthorized bites of Christmas prime rib. 

When not enjoying (or secretly serving) Glenn’s versions of Billy’s recipes, Eleanor enjoyed her own company watching classic movies.  She spent the final days of her wonderful life with her sons, watching Jimmy Stewart films and sipping chardonnay. In her own movie’s final scene, Eleanor’s bravery and kindness inspired the hospital nurses to give her a properly teased hairdo.

In sum, during her 79 years — don’t you dare call her 80! — Eleanor left a legacy, teaching everyone who listened  to make a dignified first impression, to say please and thank you, and to clean up after themselves. 

Eleanor Dorothy Rizzardi is survived by her family, including her two sons, her six grandchildren, her brother Raymond Joost, her sisters (in-law) Virginia and Jean Joost, her daughter-in-law Suzie Rizzardi, and her family’s Swedish cake recipe.

A memorial service will be held at St. James Lutheran Church , 229 Second Avenue, St. James, NY 11780 on Tuesday June 30, 2026 at 10 am. Again, to honor Eleanor’s memory, please send donations to St. James Lutheran Preschool. Contributions can be made by credit card or Zelle using the following link:

https://stjames-preschool.com

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.