I wish more people new about Ellen, about her graciousness and wisdom.
She gave up her career in chemistry and her work in cancer research to take care of three adopted children. Later in life she worked in a library and wrote short stories about her childhood in poverty and all the brothers in WWII.
She stood by my side in one of the most difficult situations in my life, maintaining astounding mental clarity and deep understanding of human beings. Both of us used to order our favorite dish in Greek restaurants: the lentil soup. The last meal we shared was an apple. Ellen did not eat meat, was very frugal and optimistic. She was an patchwork artist and gave me her sewing machine, which I revived with new gear, let it tuned, and it works like new now. I planted a mandarin tree in her honer, and it gave fruit this Spring.
They could not wake her up. She stayed out of consciousnesses for a while and then stopped breathing. She had a do-not-resuscitate order and gifted her body to science, which was accepted today by the Dartmouth College, a research University in New Hampshire.
Rest in peace, dear friend.
