Obituary of Eleanor Spano Martin

Eleanor Spano Martin, age 94, of Blue Bell, Pa., died on Thursday, February 26, 2026. 

Eleanor Vincenza Serafina Spano was born in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 31, 1931, the daughter of the late Thomas and Rose (La Noce) Spano, both immigrants from Sicily.  She was intensely proud of being an American and appreciated the many sacrifices her parents made to come to this country and build a good life for their family.

Her Sicilian heritage (as well as the Italian language) was an essential part of her life, as were her brothers Lawrence Spano and Louis Spano, who predeceased her.  She loved her family deeply (and knew quite a bit of Sicilian dialect, which she passed on to her children, James and Carolyn). Her parents and brothers affectionately called her “Sister,” and later, when she had nieces and nephews from her brother Lawrence, they called her “Aunt Sis.”

Eleanor graduated from Roxborough High School in 1949, where she met a group of what became lifelong friends.  For many years, their families vacationed together in Ocean City.  In 1953, she graduated from Arcadia University (then Beaver College), where she majored in French. During the summers, she attended Middlebury College’s intensive foreign-language program, where speaking English was not permitted. For years, she kept record albums of the French sing-alongs from Middlebury and would often sing French songs to her children.  

After graduation from college, she studied briefly at Pierce Business School in preparation for a job in the corporate world.  She worked as a translator and executive secretary in Philadelphia. 

In 1957, she took a months-long trip to Europe, seeing all the sights, deploying her French and meeting lots of charming young men.  Her beautifully written, highly detailed and quite funny journal from that time, filled with fascinating details (like seeing the 1957 Christian Dior show in Paris) was something she kept all the way until her time in the nursing home. Among the people she met during that trip was her friend Norma, who became a friend for life.

In 1959, she married James Martin, from Upper Darby, at a Mass at St. John’s Church in Manayunk.  They lived briefly in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. Shortly afterwards, Eleanor, her husband and her son James, born in 1960, moved to Plymouth Meeting, where Eleanor would spend the next 50 years at 107 Kings Road.  Her daughter, Carolyn, was born in 1964.

Eleanor was an intelligent, lively and active woman, a friend to her neighbors, an avid reader, and a frequent substitute French teacher at Plymouth Junior High School and Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.  She encouraged her children to study hard, work hard, have fun, and always, always, always supported them in all that they did.  She was always their Number One fan.  When they were sad, she was sad with them; when they were happy, she was overjoyed.

But her daughter added that she was a mom and a cheerleader to everyone she met, not just her children and grandchildren.  “You’re wonderful!” she would often say to people.  And also, “Aren’t you cold?  Put on a sweater!”

She loved her family deeply and was delighted when her daughter married Charles Buscarino, and just as delighted to eventually welcome two grandchildren, Charles and Matthew, for whom she was “Nanny.”  Her son James became a Jesuit priest and author, and she delighted in following his writing career, often telephoning friends to let them know when he would be appearing on television.   “Did you see Jimmy on TV?” she would ask everyone, with pride.   Her estimation of her children was boundless. Once, she asked her son, “Has the Pope written to you recently?”  When told no, she said, “Why not?” 

When her husband grew ill with lung cancer, she cared for him selflessly, lovingly and attentively, until his death in 2001.  After his death, she remained in her home on Kings Road in Plymouth Meeting, as one of the longtime residents on the street and was relied on for her counsel and wisdom.  A decade or so later, she moved to Normandy Farms Estates, a retirement community in Blue Bell, where she enjoyed her fellow residents.  Eventually, after a bout with cancer, she moved into the skilled nursing facility there. 

Eleanor was a parishioner of Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Plymouth Meeting, and also for a time St. Philip Neri in Lafayette Hill and St. Helena’s in Blue Bell, Pa.

She is survived by her son, the Rev. James J. Martin, SJ; daughter, Carolyn Martin Buscarino (Charles Buscarino); and two grandsons, Charles J. Buscarino, III and Matthew Martin Buscarino.  She is mourned by all who knew her—family of course, neighbors and friends, but even those who only knew her in passing.

Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated by her son, Fr. James Martin, SJ, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 11:00 AM in Epiphany of Our Lord Church, 3050 Walton Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462. 

Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation on Tuesday morning from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM in Church prior to Mass.

Interment will take place in Calvary Cemetery, West Conshohocken, PA.  

Memorial donations can be made to the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).  https://www.jesuitseast.org/​​​​​​​

Arrangements by Moore, Snear & Ruggiero Funeral Home, 300 Fayette St. Conshohocken, PA 19428 (610) 277-1600 www.msrfh.com