A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 24, 2013 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. The family will receive friends following the service in the Heywood Duke room.
She was born November 18, 1928 in Waterloo IA however, has made Greensboro her home for the past 53 years and considered it her true home. She earned her B.S from Iowa State in 1951 with a major in Home Economics. In 1966 she went back to college, at UNCG and got her masters in educational media. Prior to that she had been a librarian and teacher from 1962 to 1968 in and around Elon College where she lived at that time. After getting her masters with 4 children at home she became the Media Director at the McNutt Center for Instructional Media at UNCG.
She always saw the glass half-full instead of half-empty! What mattered to her was that people enjoy her company and that she enjoy them. Her friends were lifelong and she stuck with them through thick and thin. She loved meeting and making new friends and said she could see the spark of the divine in everyone. She was incredibly talented and enjoyed performing in plays and films in the local area for many years. Bright, intelligent, witty and humorous she was always upbeat, positive and fun to be around. Her energy level was very high for her age, making her the envy of people much younger than she.
Our Mother spent a great deal of her life giving of herself to her family, her church and her community. In terms of community and civic involvement she was whirlwind of energy.
She took pride in being politically active, involved in community theater, Seniors Reaching Out, her beloved sorority P.E.O. of which she was a 75 year member. Mom volunteered her time and her many skills to support the Commission on the Status of Women in their Women's Equality Day effort, the Junior League, and the Guilford County Public Schools She was a friend indeed to those who are health-challenged, regularly offering herself as the designated driver and willingly chauffeuring friends who are unable to drive to dental appointments, to oncology and rehabilitation treatment centers. The Shepard Center enjoyed her dramatic speaking talents and she was asked to give multiple inspirational talks.
She has been a devout member of Holy Trinity since 1962. She had been involved in the life at Holy Trinity and raised her children there. When she was younger she was on the Episcopal Church School Education Committee, taught summer bible school as well as Sunday school for Pre-K nursery. Her faith was very important to her and she gained strength and solace from her spirituality. She has always been involved in the educational seminars given by the church and was an active participant. The episcopal tenants and doctrines were part of her DNA.
Ellen is survived by her brother Warner White and his wife, Bert of Burlington VT, son, Russell Day and his wife, Nancy Alex of Carrboro NC, daughter, Susan and her husband, Skip Clemmons, son, Patrick and his wife Jane also of Carrboro, and daughter, Evelyn Day of Greensboro. She is also survived by three grandchildren; Olivia Day of Rochester NY; Jolie Day of Carrboro, and Colin Clemmons of Little Rock, AR. Other surviving family include nieces and nephews; Buzz White of Houston Texas, Kate Berhide of Saratoga Springs, NY, David White of Burlington, VT, Eliza Sawyer of Stafford Spring, CT and Andrew White of Stephentown, NY. She was predeceased by her beloved grandson Patrick Clemmons and her parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Emergency Relief Fund c/o Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 607 N. Greene St., Greensboro NC 27401.
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