It’s with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved Wife, Mother and Grandmother, Ellen Gance. She would have had her 90th birthday at the end of April and her 69th
wedding anniversary in December. If you knew Ellen, your eyes are welling up with tears because you now feel the huge void left by this incredible woman. She always had a smile on her face and a
quick-witted response to brighten everyone’s day. She always told it straight, never sugar-coating anything. She was the most genuine person we know. She never complained or gossiped- a model for all of us. I hear her now as we cry writing this saying… “Aw, cut it!” never wanting anyone to fuss over her. When Ellen was 18, she went to the library one day while attending nursing school at Harpur College (Binghamton University). Michael sat down at a table across from her. Their eyes met and that was it. They married in 1954. They settled in Endicott near their family and had a loving and beautiful life together. Yes, there were times of struggle and sacrifice, tears and arguments, but from it, they showed us greater strength, commitment, compromise and how to work together and support each other. Through all of this they grew together. There has never been more caring, thoughtful, generous and considerate people. They taught us that by giving to others, we learn to live beyond ourselves. They taught us through their own actions and have been impeccable role models. They never stopped holding hands.
Being the epitome of an amazing mom, Ellen gave her children a cherished childhood filled with pajama popcorn parties at the drive-ins, ski trips and vacations, and countless adventures and experiences. She taught us the important things in life…that family is everything. As a grandmother, she taught her grandchildren how to make cookies, knit, do crafts, and win at Chinese checkers! She never missed a play, recital, game or event! Nothing meant more to her than her family. Her love and dedication to her family and faith never faltered and fueled our family’s strength throughout the years. She was adored by all.
Ellen lost her father, Fred Frey, before the age of twelve. Despite this heartbreaking setback, she and her siblings, Doris and Ed, and her mother Ethel, succeeded and flourished in life. Later in life Ellen had a thriving real estate career. So how do you take 90 years of infinite selfless acts, sacrifices, unconditional love, and an abundance of laughter, and sum it up? We can’t, but we can offer some proof of how Ellen made a successful loving marriage and incredibly happy family life. All of her children live within a half mile radius of them. We will greatly miss her cheerful disposition and signature funny wit. Her love and wisdom will always give us strength and guidance. She is loved to the moon and back.