Elinor Rowley Gimbel, loving mother of two, passed away on April 12 in Los Angeles after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She leaves behind a son, Anthony, and a daughter, Nelly. Elinor was born in Winstead, Connecticut, where she attended Gilbert High School. At the age of 18, she moved to New York City, where she had a very successful career as a fashion model, posing on numerous covers of Seventeen and Mademoiselle. It was in New York that she met and married award-winning songwriter Norman Gimbel. Soon after their two children were born, the family moved to Southern California. Elinor, a sensitive, loving, and devoted mother, was happy to have raised her children in Pacific Palisades, as it reminded her of the small-town life she enjoyed in Connecticut. While in the Palisades, Elinor continued to pursue her interest in fashion, graduating from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and starting her own boutique designer business. In addition to her love for designing clothes, Elinor loved to cook and paint, and took pride in working in her beautiful garden on Napoli Drive. She will be remembered for her sensitivity, her creativity, and her wonderful laugh.
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