Ellen Hare

Born on Christmas Eve in 1938 to Harold John Beattie and Alice Ganey Beattie in Waterbury, CT. She will be remembered for her strong Irish Catholic faith, her love of travel, family parties, dining with her “out to lunch” friends, her sense of humor, her kind heartedness, loyalty and deep love of her children and family. She was a woman with strong convictions and was incensed by unkindness, inequality and racism.

She took great pride in being the great grand daughter of John Beattie, owner of John Beattie Granite Works of Leete’s Island, CT. Her life’s work was writing a privately published genealogical and historical account of his granite business including chronicling the use of Beattie granite for the base of the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and other landmarks.

Ellen grew up spending summers in New London with her close family of Aunts, Uncles and cousins. Then after having a family of her own spent every summer with her sister and her family at Chapman Beach in Westbrook. She was a member of St. John’s Church in Old Saybrook and said that other than raising her children her second favorite job was the many years she spent as parish secretary for St. John’s.

She was predeceased by her beloved father in 1950 and mother in 1991, brother, Harold Beattie, sister, Carol (Bob) Sullivan with whom she shared a deep affection and friendship, and many special friends including, Sister Patricia Cushing.

She is survived by her three children, Tom (Ruth) Hare of Westbrook, Stephen Hare, and Ann (Mark) Fielder of Waterford, VT, also many nieces and nephews including her sisters eight children with whom she shared a special bond with niece Annie (Rick and their son JR) Davis of St. Louis, MO, cousins on her mother’s side including Gay Mullen and Joan Cannamela, and cousins on her father’s side Doug and Paul Beattie, and special friends including Helen Coughter, Lorraine Price, and Margaret Thach.

Tom, Ann, and Annie would like to thank the caregivers that helped bring peace to Ellen in her final days with special thanks going to Middlesex Hospital APRN Chris and RN Sherry and Hospice nurses Ashley and Kristen.

A Catholic funeral mass will be held at 11am on October 19th at St. Johns Church in Old Saybrook with a visiting hour beforehand at 9:30 at Swan Funeral Home in Old Saybrook and burial to follow at Alder Brook Cemetery in Guildford, CT.

In lieu of flowers please go out and enjoy a pint of Guinness in her honor. Sláinte.