Lois Ann Ely

Lois Ann Ely, 90, of Essex, CT died suddenly on October 29, 2024 surrounded by her family. Lois was born on April 13, 1934, daughter of Louis and Norma (McCusker) D’Addario, and raised in West Hartford.

She attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy High School in West Hartford and then the Hartford Secretarial School. She spent summers at White Sands Beach in Old Lyme, CT where she met the love of her life, Gordon Ely. They married in 1956 and were married for 65 years, before Gordon’s passing. They lived in Essex since 1960. Lois was a longtime member of the Essex Catholic Women’s Group serving as president and treasurer.

She worked in Essex town government until she was 85, holding many volunteer and elected positions over the years. She served as Agent of the Town Deposit Fund, Zoning and Wetland Enforcement Officer, on the Board of Assessment Appeals, as a Democratic Town Committee member and as Registrar of Voters. When she retired she was given many accolades and awards. The Town of Essex honored her for her “decades of outstanding service” by dedicating a day which will forever be known as “Lois Ely Day”.

Lois will always be remembered as a woman with the biggest heart who helped anyone that needed it. She genuinely cared about everyone that she met and helped many people with her words of wisdom and caring nature. She enjoyed sharing her stories about her life experiences and had an amazing memory. She loved her family, the town of Essex, her country, the Yankees and UConn women’s basketball. Anyone who met her was blessed to have known her.

She is survived by her three children, Sharon DeMars and her partner Gary Guertin, Laurie Friedman and her husband Rob, and Mark Ely and his wife Kelli. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Caitlin Corriveau and her husband Philip, Paul Friedman and his partner Katie Shaffert, Kimberly Friedman, Kendall Ely and her fiance Jordan Elkary, Kyle Ely, and her great grandson, Jack Corriveau. She is also survived by her cousin Phyllis Paris and her husband David, along with many beloved nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, she is predeceased by her son-in-law, Bill DeMars.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, November 8, 2024 at 10:30am at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 14 Prospect Street in Essex. Burial will follow in the Duck River Cemetery, McCurdy Road in Old Lyme. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Essex Ambulance Association, PO Box 233, Ivoryton, CT 06442. www.essexems.org To share a memory of Lois or send a condolence to her family please visit www.rwwfh.org