Eleanor Grace Cameron-Stockley was born in Stellarton, NS, on May 9, 1957. Eleanor grew up in Stellarton and Riverton, and spent summers running barefoot, swimming and picking heather on the hills at the cottage at Point 44. This was her special place, and where she continued to spend much of her time later in life.

Eleanor studied Music Education at Dalhousie University. In her first year, she studied both piano and voice, but was required to choose one instrument to major in. She chose piano and became an exquisite player. She arrived in Twillingate, NL, at the sweet age of 22, to teach music at Twillingate Island Elementary School and Durrell Academy. Initially known as “Miss Cameron” and eventually as “Mrs. Stockley” she met and fell in love with Cecil, the gym teacher. They married on Stockley’s Hill on June 27, 1981, and had four girls, and later four grandchildren.

Eleanor – sometimes known as Ellie to her family – was a brilliant musician and an inspired educator, with big dreams that she made reality. She wrote historically accurate musicals for both large community groups and small ensemble casts. Her small ensemble pieces which were performed at her theatre, Cameron Hall, attracted audiences from all around the world. Her musicals included “Georgie”, “Shanadithit”, “Uncle Ben”, “The Hospital”, “Smallwood”, “The Shipwreck of the Schooner Begonia”, and – marrying her love of music, history, and hockey – “Arm and Harbour”. “Shanadithit” was performed in both Twillingate and St. John’s, and excerpts of it were included in Newfoundland and Labrador high school English literature textbooks. She often said that Twillingate gave her the stage to work.

She was an inspiring choral director. Each year she would take her choirs to the Gander Kiwanis Music Festival, and she earned and maintained a stellar reputation amongst the musical community in the province. She was also an adjudicator for the festival later in life. One of her greatest professional memories was representing Newfoundland and Labrador at the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa in 2009.

Eleanor also taught many generations of students piano, voice, and an array of other instruments – with each student she formed a special bond. She believed in the importance of music and loved teaching young people. We know she was loved in return. She herself remained an avid student of music all of her life, taking up and becoming a wonderful flute player, with her beloved brother, Donnie, being her teacher. Eleanor was awarded with the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers Association Special Recognition Award for her province-wide contributions to the arts in 2011.

She also enjoyed opportunities at school to teach other subjects, and especially loved to teach world religion. She was an open minded, big hearted and curious person whose strong faith connected her to people without care of colour or creed.

Never one to be idle in her “retirement,” Eleanor put much of her vision into curating the art and garments in the Iceberg Shop. She made connections with many different artists and vendors, and welcomed visitors for Iceberg Man Tours from all over the world.

Beyond these incredible contributions and accomplishments, she was kind, gentle and fiercely loving. Family was her bottom line. She was a role model of selflessness, strength, class, kindness, empathy, humour and determination for her four daughters. Her moral compass was second to none. Friends of her daughters know her as “Mama Stock,” and friends of her granddaughter, Olivia, know her as “Grannie.” She was also, notably, an absolute card shark. Her fresh bread, apple pie, and cooked dinners were the best, and everyone at the table had to have room for “one more cookie.”

Eleanor was so proud of her family - she was in awe of their unique gifts and contributions to the world. Her husband was her best friend, and they were usually found together laughing, swimming, traveling, or simply and completely enjoying their one wonderful life.

Ellie will be deeply missed by her husband of 44 years, Cecil; their children Sarah, Rebekah (Matt), Emily (Daniel), and Cecily (Dylan); their grandchildren Ethan, Olivia, Harvey and Eva; her siblings Lorna (Todd) and Richard (James); and cousins, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law, and wonderful friends. She is predeceased by her mother Eleanor Scottie; her father Earl; and her brothers, Donnie and Christopher.

The many messages received by the family have made it clear that Eleanor was a special soul who left a mark on all those that she met. She made a small and unfamiliar town on the northeast coast of Newfoundland her home. She nurtured the music community in Twillingate almost as much as she nurtured her own family. We cannot imagine life without her, but we are consoled by the fact that she made the lives around her so much richer. We are all the better for knowing Eleanor. She will be loved and missed forever.

For our friends and family in Nova Scotia, we will be having a service at 40 Twin Cove Lane on Monday, July 28th at high tide (11:00 a.m.). A celebration of life will be held for Eleanor in Twillingate on Saturday August 2nd at 2:00 p.m. at the Twillingate United Church.

In Eleanor’s memory, the family will be establishing a fund aimed at initiatives related to the Arts and Music community in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to support that fund either in person at the celebration of life, or by visiting the following link: https://gofund.me/c9a14bc6

Service

11:00 am - 11:30 am

Monday, July 28, 2025

Little Harbour

40 Twin Cove Lane

Little Harbour, Nova Scotia, Canada