Ellen Marie Hodges: July 29, 1947-November 19, 2020

Ellen was born in Lockport, New York, to James and Mary Ellen Murphy.  She was the oldest of six children in a large and loving Irish Catholic family.  When she was four, the family put down roots in Dearborn, Michigan.  Ellen was proud to be Catholic educated and talked fondly of the nuns who formed her academically and spiritually.  She graduated from Rosary High School in 1965.

She attended Eastern Michigan University, where she met and married Richard Hodges.  She was his steadfast wife for 51 years.  Their family grew in February 1970 with the birth of William, and Ellen knew she found her life's calling as a mother.  Julie was born eight years later, and their nuclear family was complete.

Ellen was an active presence in her children's lives, and often volunteered to be with them.  She was a Boy Scout den leader and a Catechism teacher.  She hosted play dates and classroom parties at the house.  She was playful and imaginative with her children, and she loved them endlessly and unconditionally.

Ellen's teaching career began while Julie was in elementary school.  She worked in a variety of places as a substitute and a permanent classroom teacher.  She eventually landed in Taylor Public Schools and taught at Truman and Kennedy High Schools.  Her specialty was Algebra I and she took great pleasure in helping students understand and master math skills.  She was passionate about teaching, and rarely took a day off, even after illness and surgery.  She retired from Taylor Schools in 2002.

Ellen and Richard's family expanded over time with the addition of daughter-in-law Kelly (1993), granddaughter Eiryn (1999), and son-in-law Brian (2002).  Her roster of grandchildren grew with Mary (2004), Steven (2004), and Lily (2008).  Words cannot express how much Ellen adored her grandchildren.   They were always on her mind, and she talked about them with anyone who would listen.  She became their personal shopper, card-sender, knitter, and playmate.  One of the many blessings in Ellen's life was that she had a long retirement in which she could be an active and engaged grandmother.

In her retirement, Ellen kept busy by spending time with her children and grandchildren, knitting for everyone (family, friends, neighbors, the mail carrier, doctors, etc.), visiting with her many friends, talking for hours on the phone, watching football, spending time at her cottage in Indian River, and going to church.  Her Catholic faith was a gift and a solace to Ellen as she experienced profound loss and in her later years.

Ellen was predeceased by her brother Daniel, brother Michael, father James, sister Maureen, and mother Mary Ellen.  Through all these losses, Ellen provided comfort and stability to her family.   Loss taught Ellen the importance of living in the moment, being charitable with her time and energy, and communicating love and support without restraint.  She used to say that longevity didn't run in the Murphy family, and her own early death highlights that.

Ellen died on Thursday, November 19, 2020, at Henry Ford Wyandotte hospital after a short but fierce battle with ovarian cancer.  She was with her husband and her children in her final hours.  She was grateful for the loving care she was given by her doctors and especially her final nurse, Erica.

Ellen chose to be cremated.  The family has decided to scatter her ashes near her beloved cottage in Indian River, a place that she loved and held such wonderful memories for her.

A celebration of life ceremony will be held in the spring.  Memorial donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital: giftfunds.stjude.org/Ellen_M_Hodges.