Grace Ellsworth

1913 - 2014

Haddam - On June 23, 2014, after a morning of physical therapy followed by lunch, Grace Walker White Ellsworth, 100, lay down for a nap and slipped peacefully away.

Grace was born in Hartford, on Nov. 10, 1913. Her family was broken by divorce when she was four, at a time when this was far from acceptable. Taken away from her older sister Frances, Grace grew up in Boise, Idaho, where she learned to love the outdoors and all things active. But the separation left her fiercely determined that a happy, connected family was of utmost importance, and her marriage to John E. Ellsworth in 1939, and subsequent birth of four children was the anchor point of her being.

Other passions motivated her throughout her life. After attending Miss Hall's School and later Oxford School in Hartford, Grace was discouraged from going to college, so her interest in education became fierce and never waned. She was the last surviving Founding Regent of The University of Hartford, starting in 1956, when the campus was nothing but a pasture. As a Life Regent, she participated actively in many aspects of decision making as the campus grew, and her practical, common sense approach to complicated problems earned her much respect, and at times, a hearty dose of teasing. She served on the boards of St. Lawrence University, Hartt School of Music, and Miss Hall's School in Pittsfield, Mass., as well.

Another main passion was a broad and committed belief in the responsibility of individuals to do their part as citizens of their communities. As such she was involved in many organizations, as both committee member and philanthropist. The arts, opera and symphony particularly, were something she always loved, and she still attended performances up to her death. After John died, she stepped in for him to serve on the board of the Connecticut Opera. Coming from the White family of painters, she herself was a talented though unrealized artist, and she exercised her keen eye through the enjoyment of fine art all her life, and supported the Atheneum and other local museums.

John and Grace shared an intense love of nature, birds, and the wildness of land. Their home and property in Simsbury was the source of endless pleasure, and they both wanted to see its conservation, as well as the careful conservation of wild land all over Connecticut. At the age of 99, Grace was appointed an honorary board member of Connecticut Forest and Park Association as a tribute to her support for this cause.

As a kind of activist of her times, she never stopped loving politics and following the daily news and could argue just about anyone into an uncomfortable corner with her sharp incisive mind. She never tired of stimulating conversation, putting forward her ideas, and stating her strong opinions.

When her most loved husband John died in 1994, Grace stepped up as matriarch and continued the family traditions, tending to the home she and John built together, gathering the family around for holidays, and reveling in the accounts of her nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She never tired of hearing about the latest exploits, attending graduations, and enjoying summers in Waterford with children around. It was not an easy transition for her to leave her beloved house at the age of 98, but she bowed gracefully to the inevitability of it and finished out her life at the Saybrook at Haddam.

Grace's four children, Elinor Ellsworth, Starr Sayres, Ann-Toy Broughton, and Tim Ellsworth, celebrated her 100th birthday with a big bash last November, with Grace holding court with her usual humor, wit, and elegant style. She will be terribly missed by her immediate family and her extended family, all of whom are quite surprised that she has left the premises, even though she frequently talked about having her bags packed, just waiting for John (who was always late) to come pick her up.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Grace's memory to the Office of Institutional Advancement, University of Hartford, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117, https://www.anchoronline.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=312; or Connecticut Forest and Park Association, 16 Meriden Road, Rockfall, CT 06481-2961, http://www.ctwoodlands.org/donate.

A celebration of Grace's life will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2014.

For details of the arrangements, visit http://www.rwwfh.com/

Arrangements are by the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home in Centerbrook.