Elinor Rambo and her husband Tom were fixtures in the NKU Biology Department for over 30 years, with Tom a founding member of the NKU faculty. Later in her career, after earning her MLS from the University of Kentucky, Elinor also worked as a reference librarian in the Steely Library and taught the research methods class required of every bio major.
She was born and raised in Ohio and came to NKU after two years in Ethiopia. Her children, Birch and Elisabeth, were practically raised on the NKU campus, getting to know all the members of the department, as well as students. The Rambos took many of those students under their wings, guiding and mentoring them not just in the biological sciences and research methods, but also in how to be a good person, no matter where their lives took them.
Anyone who spent more than an hour in the Rambos’ company heard them say, “You should come with us!” regarding any number of adventures, but most often trips to Costa Rica. And every time they said it, they meant it with their whole hearts. Elinor loved unreservedly, could get anyone to talk to her about their lives, and had a passion for teaching and sharing her love for the natural world.
In the last two years, she was beset by dementia and did not always know exactly when or where she was. But she still spoke with true wisdom: “No matter what universe you’re in, always be kind.”
She passed away peacefully on June 14, 2026.
