Obituary of ellen m. marcellus

Ellen M. Marcellus, of Pensacola, Florida and formerly of Clayton, New York, passed away on August 1, 2021 under the care of Hospice. Ellen, daughter of Lee Arnold and Florence Eastwood Arnold, was born on September 11, 1931 in Buffalo, NY. Ellen was raised in Syracuse and attended Syracuse City Schools. In 1954 she was married to Leonard Marcellus, a former airman, in Clayton, NY. There, they raised three children Ralph, Sharon, and Liza. In 1970, Ellen and Leonard, along with their two young daughters, moved to San Diego, CA where they lived for many years. Leonard passed in October of 1976. Ellen continued to live in San Diego until 2014 at which time she moved to Pensacola to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Liza and Kenneth Ragsdale. Ellen was a hard-working woman having worked at various jobs throughout her lifetime. While residing in Clayton, she worked many summers at the Thousand Islands Club on Wellesley Island. During her years in San Diego, she worked in several clerical positions at dental and medical offices. Her hobbies included flower arranging, card games, and socializing with her friends. She was a member of several organizations during her lifetime, including the Fleet Reserve Association in San Diego CA which she truly enjoyed. Ellen loved saving mementos and over the years she collected thousands of pictures of her children and grandchildren, as well as her friends, in her scrapbooks. Family was very important to her. She was an avid letter-writer, sending cards and letters to her children and grandchildren. In her later years while living with Liza and Ken, Ellen enjoyed watching their granddaughter, Faylin, (her youngest great-granddaughter) learn to walk and talk, and finally to prepare for kindergarten. Ellen leaves behind her son and two daughters, Ralph (Tina) Marcellus, Sharon (John) Opie, and Liza (Kenneth) Ragsdale; grandchildren: Christa Woodward, Erin (Mark) Celsor, Kevin (Danielle) Ragsdale, Adrienne (Whit Altman) Marcellus, Brian Opie, Maria Marcellus; and great-grandchildren, Claudia, Bridget, Robert, Ryan, Aubrielle, and Faylin. Ellen also leaves behind a brother-in-law, Al Netto, and a sister-in-law, Doris Bertrand, and many nieces and nephews. Private services and internment will be in Clayton, NY at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a Veteran’s organization of one’s choice.