Letters: Eleanor Angoff Will Be Missed

When Eleanor Angoff passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 27, Princeton lost a most sincere, effective and fervent advocate for the housing needs of our community. On behalf of Princeton Community Housing, we express our condolences to Eleanor’s family and friends; we are writing to let others know how much Eleanor meant to our organization and to Princeton.

Whether it was the need for affordable housing for families or for market-rate senior housing, Eleanor worked tirelessly and diligently for over 20 years to make sure that our governing bodies understood the necessity of ensuring that Princeton was a town in which everyone – seniors, families, people who worked here in the schools or at the hospital, folks at every income level – could have a home.

She was a prodigious writer of thoughtful letters to the local papers, an eloquent and persuasive speaker at numerous public hearings and a role model and mentor for many on how to effectively advocate and lead.

For twenty-three years, Eleanor represented The Jewish Center on the Board of Trustees of Princeton Community Housing.  She was a significant contributor to the work and accomplishments of our organization, whose mission is to provide, manage and advocate for affordable housing opportunities in town.  During her years on the PCH Board, Eleanor also chaired the Governance Committee and served as Secretary.

Because of her expertise in and understanding of housing concerns, Eleanor was appointed to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service’s Advisory Board on Senior Activities.

In the mid-1990’s Eleanor created and led the Princeton Coalition for Senior Housing in support of market rate senior housing in Princeton.   She worked to meld the AARP, the Community Without Walls, the League of Women Voters, Princeton Community Housing, the Joint Commission on Aging, and the Senior Resource Center into a strong and effective coalition and led the effort to gather over 1,100 signatures on a petition.

Our fond memories of Eleanor’s one of a kind personality, effective leadership and steadfast advocacy help ease the sadness of our loss and inspire us to continue our mission and help the community to offer the variety of housing opportunities that are essential to maintaining the vibrancy and socioeconomic diversity that defines our town.

Sincerely,

Rich Gittleman, President
Edward Truscelli, Executive Director
Princeton Community Housing