Ella Mack

Ella Mack, 93 CLARKESVILLE, Ga. -- All who knew Ella Mack thought of her as charming, quick-witted and determined. She died in Clarkesville, Ga., on Feb. 28, 2009, at age 93, from a combination of age-related problems. Ella was born in Boston of immigrant parents. She went through the Boston public school system, and then became the only woman to complete a degree in 1936 from the Massachusetts School of Pharmacy. She had organizational skills that, in a later generation, would have propelled her into executive corporate positions. Work brought her to Portland where she married Milton Mack in 1938. There they raised three sons, Richard, Stephen and James, all of the baby boomer generation. Milton's work in the shoe manufacturing industry and later with the federal government, brought them to live in York, Pa., Franklin Tenn., and Birmingham Ala. Milton died in 1983; Ella continued to live in Birmingham until last year and came to think of it as her home. Ella's interests ranged broadly from family to the arts. She was a dedicated booster of the Birmingham Art Gallery, and she had a great eye for quality, whether it was in arts, entertainment, clothing, foods or relationships. She loved her family deeply and provided them with structure, advice, and superbly prepared baked desserts. Although her children and grandchildren were scattered across the country, she visited them frequently, even when she was well into her 80s and kept them all supplied with hand knit scarves and meticulously executed petit point. Ella handled all of her family responsibilities with a sense of humor that included laughing heartily, even at her own follies. In the last year of her life, she moved to Clarkesville, Ga., to be near her son, Jim, and his wife Lynn. Even during this period, she enjoyed antique shopping, sightseeing, and eating out at various local restaurants. She maintained her interest in life and in other people until the end. Ella is survived by three sons and their wives: Richard and Virginia of Ellensburg, Wash.; Steve and Celeste of Ft. Collins, Colo.; and Jim and Lynn of Clarkesville, Ga. Her grandchildren, now grown, are distributed broadly around the country: Abigail, Alexandra, Josh, Rachel and Sarah. Ayla, Abigail's daughter, is her sole great-grandchild. A reception in her memory will be held on March 25, at the Town Village Retirement Community in Vestavia Hills, Ala., from 3:30-5 p.m.