Ellen J. Kolodner

Dr. Ellen Kolodner passed away on May 29, 2023 in Palm Harbor, Florida. Born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1948 to Abraham and Francis Codish, she grew up in Worcester with her sister Rhoda. She graduated from Boston University’s Six Year Program in Liberal Arts & Medicine in 1972, where she was one of the few women in the class and was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. It was there, at age 18, that she met her future husband, Harry. They were married in 1971, and over the next 52 years, they built a life together, eventually settling in Oldsmar, Florida, where Ellen worked with Harry to build an ophthalmology practice.

While Ellen chose not to practice medicine, she instead devoted herself to raising her 5 children (Jon, Dan, Laura, Dara and Ben). She supported her children without hesitation and loved them unconditionally. She was unfailingly selfless and giving to each of them. Over three decades she watched her children leave for 4 time zones and 5 cities, but she always welcomed them home with a warm hug and a huge smile. She was also the beloved grandmother to 10 grandchildren, who were the frequent focus of her later years.

Ellen loved poetry and books of all types, and she instilled in her children a lifelong love of learning and reading from a young age. Over the years, Ellen amassed a collection of hundreds of books on Jewish literature, history and culture. The walls of her home were covered not only with the artwork of her children and her grandchildren, but with quotes from her favorite poems and proverbs. (Endearingly, she was also famous for slightly misquoting her favorite phrases, leaving all of us with a treasure trove of her wisdom in a style that was completely hers.) She also loved crystal figurines, and she leaves her family with her many special frog and bulldog tchotchkes, most of them gifts from her loved ones.

An avid cook and baker, Ellen could often be found in her kitchen. She was famous for her desserts, especially her banana bread, cupcakes (with the buttercream icing!), brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Ellen made every holiday (especially Jewish holidays or Thanksgiving) an event to be remembered, with a whirlwind of cooking and baking. Her grandchildren knew that every visit to Florida meant homemade treats, each batch made to order (some of her grandkids did not like nuts after all!). To make sure that all of her loved ones would have her recipes to cook for themselves when she could not be there in person, a decade ago she took the time to create her own cookbook, which she called “The Bunhead Cookbook,” listing out favorite recipes with commentary, advice and humor (the “bunhead” title comes from her “messy bun” hairstyle, her signature look). During the pandemic, when she could not visit in person, she even arranged for virtual baking sessions with her grandchildren, which they loved.

Ellen enjoyed talking to loved ones and strangers alike, and was famous for knowing the life story of every bank teller, post office worker and friend of her children. She was easy to talk to and people loved being around her.

She was a lifelong fan of the underdog, and having inherited a love of baseball from her father, that meant she was a fan first of the Boston Red Sox, and later the Tampa Bay Rays. A lover of animals, she had a particular fondness for English bulldogs, as well as rescued cats from the animal shelter. In her final years, she was the adopted dog-parent to her son Ben’s beloved French bulldog, Frankie.

Her memory will forever be a blessing to all who knew her.

Her memorial service with be held at 10 a.m. at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 2853 Sunset Point Rd., Clearwater, Florida.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society or St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital.