Eleanor H. Raley, 83, a longtime McKays Beach resident died Saturday, June 26, 2010 St. Mary's Hospital.

Mrs. Raley was born on June 8, 1920 in Cabin John, MD, the daughter of the late Paul Hannen and Eleanor Hannen. She graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High school in 1944. Shortly after graduation she moved with her family to St. Mary's county when her father, an LCDR in the Naval Reserve, was assigned to what would become the Flight Test Branch of the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. She met and married Claude Raley of Leonardtown in 1946.

Mrs. Raley and her husband moved to the McKays Beach community in 1953 and raised three children there. She was a member of the McKays Beach Volunteer Fire Department Women's Auxiliary. She loved living on McKays Beach, enjoying her wonderful friends and neighbors, looking out over Herring Creek, and taking walks on the unspoilt beach along the Potomac.

Mrs. Raley worked at the Leonardtown Memorial Library as a full time employee for over twenty years and developed many cherished friendships. She and her husband enjoyed square dancing in later years. After retirement she traveled extensively throughout both the USA and Europe with her husband and other family members.
Other than her family, Eleanor's passion was music. Her interests ranged from old standards to opera. Her children do not remember a time when there was not some music or song playing through the home. She had a wonderful singing voice and sang in several church choirs as well as being a member of the Senior Vibs.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Raley, to whom she was married fifty nine years.

Survivors include her children, Michael Raley, of St John USVI, Barbara McWhorter, of Strasburg VA, and Paul Raley, of McKays Beach MD; and four beloved grandchildren.

Family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 30, 2010 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD with prayers recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral Service will be conducted at 10 a.m. in St. George Episcopal Church, Valley Lee, MD with Reverend Greg Syler officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Second District Vol. Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 1, Valley Lee, MD 20692.

Funeral arrangements provided by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.