Eleanor Carlson didn’t wear a cape, carry a shield or wield a magic hammer. Yet she was a superhero in every way that truly matters.
Using kindness as her superpower, Eleanor impacted the Sioux Falls area in countless positive ways throughout her life, offering a warm smile to everyone she met, carrying a quiet strength through more than a century of change and stepping forward whenever help was needed.
Our city is more vibrant because of her volunteerism. Our community is stronger thanks to her service and leadership. And people at every age and stage of life continue to find hope and healing thanks to her support of Sanford Health.
Eleanor passed away on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the age of 101. While we mourn her passing, we also celebrate her remarkable life, the impact of her generosity and the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind.
A Commitment to Community
The caring fingerprints of Eleanor and her husband, Henry Carlson Jr., are visible across Sioux Falls but they are especially evident on the campus of the Sanford USD Medical Center.
Here, Henry’s leadership of Henry Carlson Company transformed blueprints into buildings while the couple’s philanthropic gifts fueled the lifesaving work inside them.
Since their first gift in 1988, Eleanor and Henry donated more than $3.2 million through the Sanford Health Foundation to help advance local health care. From cancer care to hospice, they supported a range of causes over the years, but their primary passion was always caring for children.
Beyond her support of Sanford Health, Eleanor was an active supporter of many local nonprofits and civic organizations. She was involved with the Civic Fine Arts, served on the Sioux River Greenway Project, was a longtime board member of Volunteers of America, and supported Children’s Care Hospital (now LifeScape) — just to name a few.
Advancing Pediatric Health Care
After their granddaughter, Anna, faced a difficult cancer diagnosis, Eleanor and Henry were moved to help other families facing the fear and heartbreak of childhood cancer. They established an endowment to support pediatric cancer care. It remains one of the largest endowed funds at the Foundation, generating tens of thousands of dollars annually to care for kids fighting cancer.
Later, the couple committed $1 million to help build the Sanford Children’s Hospital, affectionately known as the Castle of Care.
Today the Carlson Great Hall, the Hospital’s lobby named in their honor, welcomes nearly 28,000 kids each year, bringing hope and comfort to families facing the unimaginable.
In 2021, Eleanor and Henry made their final gift together — a significant investment to support the purchase of Giraffe OmniBeds and Panda Warmers, essential equipment to care for fragile infants in the Sanford Boekelheide Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the region’s most advanced level IV NICU.
In recognition of their generosity, Eleanor and Henry were members of the Foundation’s Honors Society, a community of donors whose gifts total more than $10,000, and the Legacy Society, a community of donors who are investing in the future of health care through a planned gift.
After Henry passed away in 2022, Eleanor and her family continued to invest in the mission of Sanford Health through kindness and philanthropy.
Her son, Chip, and his wife, Jennifer, are generous supporters of the Sanford Health Foundation, as is the family business. Henry Carlson Construction generously supported the construction of Ava’s House; supports key priorities at Sanford Health; and regularly supports annual fundraising events including the Children’s Gala, an event to enhance local pediatric health care, and Big Stars & Pink Guitars, an event to advance local breast cancer care. Carrying Henry’s legacy of innovation forward, the firm also continues to advance our Sioux Falls campus, most recently with the completion of the new Sanford Orthopedic Hospital earlier this year.
In 2024, Eleanor and her family — including her grandchildren and great grandchildren — joined us for the grand opening of the Billion Pavilion, the play area outside of the Castle of Care, where they welcomed the addition of “Henry,” the climbing caterpillar named in Henry’s honor.
“
Eleanor’s unending kindness and her passion for helping others made her an incredible human being, a champion for our community and a dear friend to so many — including our team at the Sanford Health Foundation. We are so grateful to have known her and we are honored to help carry out her philanthropic vision, ensuring her legacy of care continues to make a difference for patients and families for generations to come.
Vice President, Sanford Health Foundation, Sioux Falls