Minnie Eleanor (Alvey) Raley, 89, of Leonardtown, MD, died October 25, 2007 at St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, MD.

Born September 8, 1918, in Newtowne Manor, MD, she was the daughter of the late Leonard and Minnie Leach Alvey.

Eleanor "Bootsie" Raley was dedicated to her church and community and was a loving wife, mother and caring neighbor. She married George E. Raley, Sr. on June 5, 1943, and after 60 years of marriage, he preceded her in death on January 3, 2004. Following her graduation from St. Mary's Academy in 1936, she worked for the International Association of Machinists in Washington, D.C. After her marriage, she returned to Leonardtown, MD, until she and her husband moved to their lifelong home in Compton, MD, in 1947 where they raised their family. As a dedicated homemaker she was a constant source of stability and strength for her sons during their formative years. She was extremely devoted to her family and took great pride in the individual achievements of her six sons' personal, academic and professional lives. There are fond memories of the sumptuous holiday meals that she always prepared throughout the years even as the extended family grew in numbers.

Eleanor was an active member of the Catholic Daughters organization and her parish at St. Francis Xavier Church in Compton including serving as a docent for tours of the adjacent Old Manor home where she was born and raised. She and her husband delivered Meals on Wheels for fourteen years to the elderly and shut-ins. When her youngest son left home for college, she worked at the Ben Franklin variety store in Leonardtown for many years until its closing.

She is survived by five sons: Carl and wife, Cinda of Leonardtown, MD; George Jr. and wife, Susan, of Rising Sun, MD; Stephen of Leonardtown; Leonard and wife, Suzanne of Odenton, MD; and John and wife, Carol, of Phoenix, MD; by six grandchildren: Marc, John, Sara, Brian, Elyse, and Allison Raley; and by one great granddaughter, Olive.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her son, Daniel, two sisters, Rose T. Longmore and Alma Thompson and three brothers, Leach, John and Brother Stephen Alvey, S.J.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, October 28, 2007 from 2-5:00 p.m. in St. Francis Xavier Church, Compton, MD. Prayers will be recited at 4:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, October 29, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in the church. The Reverend John Mattingly will be the celebrant. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made to the George and Eleanor Raley Scholarship Fund at the Advancement Office of St. Mary's Ryken High School, 22600 Camp Calvert Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650.

Arrangements by Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A. in Leonardtown, MD.