After the Morris family left Olympia, Ellen always visited us wherever we moved to, and whenever she arrived, my parents lit up and had a happiness in seeing her to a degree that I didn't see with most other adults that came to the house. For me there was always the sense that Ellen was "their kind", and that along with making new memories, there were always wonderful memories to reminisce and laugh about. Especially in my childhood, most of those "you had to be there" stories they laughed about were before my time, but it always made me happy to see them having such a great time. When we were in London, Ellen was another American, and for a few hours, my parents didn't have to deal with being Americans among Brits. I would later learn from my mother that when they were in Olympia, they had shared the culture shock of having come from the East Coast. When Ellen visited us in Brooklyn, in our predominantly Jewish neighborhood, I remember them laughing together at jokes that mostly went over my head, but which had to do with being Irish and having attended Catholic schools.

Ellen was always so classy and polite.  On one of her visits to Brooklyn, my father picked up Ellen at JFK. It should have been about a half hour drive to our house in Flatbush, but he made a wrong turn. Ellen would recount that for the next few hours, she had the feeling they were not driving in the correct direction, but she couldn't bring herself to be the backseat driver and so had kept her mouth shut. Finally, when they reached Montauk, Long Island, my father realized that he had to turn around. All I can think of is, they must have been having a wonderful time catching up, to not realize how much time had passed. My parents and Ellen would retell the story and laugh about it many times in the years to follow.

Ellen shared our love of dogs. My parents were living at 57th St and 6th Avenue in Manhattan in 1991 with my dog Jenny, a red haired 50 lb mutt. I remember one day my mother excitedly telling me that she'd seen a TV ad for a dog movie called Bingo, and that the Bingo looked just like Jenny. That summer, Ellen visited, and after dinner, we decided to go rent some VHS movies after dinner. We took Jenny with us and walked westward along 57th St, past the Russian Tea Room, Carnegie Hall, the Steinway Store and the Art Students League until we reached the video rental store at 9th Avenue. On the walk back, some people walking towards us carrying posters and wearing white t-shirts pointed at Jenny and yelled "Bingo!".  As we got closer to 6th Avenue, more and more people carrying posters and wearing the same t-shirt all noticed Jenny and yelled "Hey, there's Bingo!" and "yo, Bingo!". By the time we reached the Director's Guild of America New York Theater, around the corner from the apartment, there was a crowd gathered outside. It turns out Bingo had just had its premiere in the theater.  We tried to squeeze our way through the crowd, and a woman came up to me. "Can he pet your dog?" she asked, pointing down to her toddler, who was babbling "bigo" and reaching towards Jenny. "He thinks it's Bingo."  People whipped their heads around and I heard things like "oh my god, is that Bingo?" and "look, I think they brought the dog actor". Jenny looked around and I could tell she was befuddled. I looked at Ellen and we totally cracked up. Jenny was having 15 minutes of fame. For years to come, whenever we talked about our dogs, this story would come up and I would enjoy Ellen's big giggle --she was always tickled by the memory. 

Little did we know in 1991 that in 2015 we would all be together again on 57th Street, at Carnegie Hall, to see Danny's high school perform. It was such a joyous and thrilling visit, and I will always cherish the memory of that whole trip, being able to visit with Ellen and Mary in their hotel and at local restaurants, and seeing my parents, the Farrells and Ellen and Mary together. I found a sort of tribute link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V1iHFNeyyA

For me, to remember the good times with Ellen, Mary and Cynthia is to know that home is not a geographical place, but wherever your loved ones are.

Quite simply, Mimi was the best grandmother anyone could hope to have and I am going to miss her so much.

Not only was she caring, loving, supportive (ideal grandma behavior) but she was also so incredibly smart, and funny.  two of my most highly valued traits in people, probably from her being a benchmark.  I loved and admired how confident in herself she always was, she knew her worth, and would not take shit from anybody.  Her competitive nature, and boastful mindset that she was always going to win is something that I have inherited fully from her, just one form of her tremendous ambition.   She introduced me to the concept of mind over matter, from a very early age..something that has been a core idea throughout my life.  She doted upon me, but was also stern when needed to be when I was bratty, she always wanted to see me become the best version of myself. As she did with everyone.   I coined her name Mimi when i was a child who could not say real words,  and she coined the name "the prince" for me..and I actually felt like one growing up with so much love, support, and resources given to me by my whole family, especially Mimi.

I am so lucky to have so many great memories with Mimi, throughout my whole life she was there to support me, love me, and join me in adventures!  the gold standard of a cool grandma

Some of the memories that first come to mind in the 33 lucky years I got to have with her
-My first stuffed animal/first friend Big Bear that was given to me at birth, and I still have
-Spending almost every christmas, and most summers with her my whole life.  Some summers my mom would put me on a plane by myself when i was just a kid, and I spent my whole summer in Emporium with my grandma and great grandma, just being a kid.  
-Her drawing me custom pictures of super heroes, animals, and battle scenes that I asked for as a kid.  Her drawings of hawks, and seeing them in Emporium started my fascination with bird of prey
-Her buying me my first video game console, sega genesis, and my second Nintendo 64, even though my parents disapproved, she didn't care, she wanted to make me happy :)
-Mimi and myself going to a summer double bass camp in indianapolis when i was in middle school, we found this italian restaurant near our hotel that we ate at every night, i discovered i loved caesar dressing
-Going on a boat to Victoria Canada and seeing Orca whales.
-Mimi visiting me when i first moved to college in california, visiting my school, touring around santa barbara, helping me acquire a keg to bring to a party, which helped me make some of my first college friends.
-Going to the Magic Castle in LA after i graduated college, the very posh invite only world head quarters of magic, both of our minds were blown when a magician did close up magic and used mimis hands to perform the magic
-her coming to visit me in Long Beach for my final year of college, she stayed on the Queen Mary cruise liner, a contemporary of the Titanic now anchored in long beach as a museum/hotel.  We had the sunday champaign brunch buffet in the ballroom of the ship.  the fanciest i have experienced in my life!
-I remember Mimi as loving and caring and compassionate a person as she was,   would never under any circumstances share her popcorn in a movie, but she would buy me anything i wanted.  We saw so many movies together over the years
-Traveling to Scotland and spending 2 weeks seeing castles, lakes, islands, and drinking lots of beer!
-Going to fancy restaurants, symphonies and a broadway play once (spamalot).
-I always loved bragging to my friends about how my grandma was some of the first woman to graduate harvard law,  that she was a successful lawyer.  My friend remarking that is why I like to argue so much
-Mimi actually meeting and knowing so many of my friends, and vice versa.  
-I didn't come to love watching sports till college, but when I did I loved watching the Seahawks and cheering them on with Mimi, analyzing players and tactics, flaming the scrubs.
-Her buying me my favorite hat of all time! the fuzzy one, if u know me u know the hat.
-and so much more....

I will always love and miss you Mimi, but your love, lessons, and experiences we shared will carry with me always.

 -The Prince

Ellen and I were classmates at Penn State, and we may share the distinction of being the only female class members who went on to law school. It was not a typical path for women of our generation. While Ellen's intentions were well known during our undergraduate years, the idea was more of a background possibility for me until some months after I graduated (in January '59) as I considered and rejected other possibilities. By the time I clarified law as a goal, Ellen was already at Harvard, and I spent a day with her there to get an idea of what I might be getting into. I submitted my applications and set off with my best high school friend for an extended journey (on a shoestring) in Europe and the Near East. Our ship made a stop in Boston, and Ellen, with Dick Friedman, another PSU classmate also at Harvard, came to see Liz and me before we embarked again for Lisbon. I came home to law school, at University of Michigan, which had offered me free tuition, and thereafter my contacts with Ellen came at Penn State Mortar Board reunions. It was always special to see her and compare notes on how our legal lives had gone, and I always felt less alone in my choice because Ellen was there just slightly ahead of me! 

Everything I have read from others confirms what I knew Ellen would be.  She and I were debate partners at Penn State.  We were small in stature, but large in effect!  We used to laugh that we would lose to the lovely "Southern Ladies", but beat the men from the Ivies.  In spite of Ellen's determination to win (and win she did), she was always gracious and kind.   As so often happens, we lost contact following graduation.  I knew she would become exactly as you have all described her--a talented colleague, a loving mother and wife, a fun grandmother and one who persistently gave of herself for the benefit of others.  A good life lived.  Thank you Ellen.

Ellen was a trailblazer.  She went to Harvard Law school when there were few women admitted to law schools, and then went on to head the OEO legal services statewide office in New Jersey, as a skilled legal supervisor and administrator.  She set standards for other lawyers, and made seeking fairness and equality for all her major goals.  Her kindness and empathy greatly affected others.  She hired me for that office, and I grew to respect and appreciate her as a mentor, as a leader, and as someone who cared and made a difference.  She will be missed, and will not be forgotten.

When Ellen’s sister Esther and niece Evelyn moved to Emporium in the mid 1980's, I became fast, good friends with them. When I learned that “Aunt Ellen” was coming for a visit to Emporium, I was excited to meet her and, from the stories I heard about Ellen, I knew we would become fast friends as well. I had no idea at that time that Ellen’s and my paths would cross many, many times over the next nearly four decades. I was blessed meeting her daughters, Cynthia and Mary, and her grandsons, and even visited all of them in Sedona, AZ (2014). Over the years Ellen and I were two of the founders of the Cameron County Puppeteer Guild which brought puppet shows to the youth of Cameron County. Ellen was my brilliant organ accompanist for her niece’s, Corrine's, wedding and she was even present at one of my recitals in New York City. I have so many wonderful memories of spending time with her - outings, dinners, picnics, rehearsals, and the like. I will never forget her beautiful smile and laugh. Ellen, you were a big part of my life and you will always be missed!

Ellen was a force of nature. She was an incredibly talented, brilliant attorney whose ethics and principles were unimpeachable and whose work ethic was jaw dropping. Ellen brought dogged determination and deep commitment to representing clients zealously but always with reverence for the highest standards of the legal profession and for the integrity of the justice system. Doing the right thing and doing it  extrordinarily well honorably, always and in every circumstance was Ellen’s credo, one that by her example and by well chosen, aptly timed words of advice, she quietly impressed upon those lucky enough to work along side her or to be mentored by her, of which there were many over her long and diverse career. Illustrative of Ellen’s determination and grit, was that in the middle of a high profile jury trial that we were trying away from home in Eastern Washington, as we worked late into the night in our respective hotel rooms and as our adversaries presumably slumbered, Ellen kept slipping into the wee hours a steady stream of cross examination questions and ideas for closing argument under my hotel room door, all of which were gratefully and quietly received by me. Or while in the middle of a different case, while getting ready for an important pre-deposiiton conference for a client I came down with some malady that layed me low and Ellen ably stepped in and handled the conference and drove us back from Eastern Washington while I lay curled up in the back seat while Ellen drove and periodically lobbed in my direction well deserved and true remarks about how women were tougher than men. As always, Ellen was right. She was simply tireless and extraordinarily dedicated in everything she did. Not going the extra mile was simply not part of Ellen’s makeup. Ellen did all of this with humility and modesty never needing or wanting to tout much less even mention her remarkable accomplishments and pedigree at her beloved Penn State or later Harvard Law, the latter at a time when there were few women at the the Law School.

Ellen was just so special to so many.
She was family. She was friend.
She was joy, laughter, love and so much more …
She was just so very special.
We will dearly miss her.

I remember her sleeping under newspapers at Spring Training.
I remember her eating peanut butter and crackers with a beer for dinner while watching baseball.
So many lunches with her (and Mary) involving great conversations over the years.
On a personal level, she was an inspiration to me (both as a lawyer and as a mom) and was so supportive and understanding and non-judgmental.
She was quite simply the best “other mom” ever.

Her beaming smile, sharp wit, and joyful laugh
Her love of mysteries – books, series and movies
Her profound love of her grandchildren
The weekly calls we had – every weekend for 40 years. Oh how I will miss those.
The always-sage, non-judgmental, advice she gave me my entire life
Her love of wine, beer, football and baseball
Her love of cashews, goldfish (the crackers), salmon, saltines, fried potatoes
Her intense dislike of tofu
Her unqualified love and support for me and my sister every day of our lives (even the horrible teen years!)
Her love of matching her earrings, socks and outfits
Her embracing of simple joys – learned from her beloved father Dinty/Gampy
Her deep love for her sister Esther, and all her nieces/nephews and their growing families
Her late found love of texting (!)
Her love of holding little babies
Her fiercely independent mind
Her commitment to tolerance, fairness, equity and kindness
Her contempt for racism, intolerance, cruelty, arrogance, greed, self-imposed ignorance
Her compassion, her generosity, her patience,
Her loyalty to her friends - friendships that lasted decades
Her terrible driving (!)
Her love of hats and purses and tissues.
Her keen intelligence and curiosity, and her love of language
Her love of fine dining (gotta have a linen tablecloth!)
The genuine pleasure she took in the success, happiness, achievements of others
The abounding joy she got from just spending time with John.