Dr. Helen Elizabeth Ellis

Dr. Helen Elizabeth (Oickle) Ellis, 81, of Bernardston, and South Yarmouth, MA, died Thursday (11-27-2008) at home. She was a retired Professor/Academic Administrator at Greenfield Community College. She was the widow of the late Dr. Frederick E. Ellis, who died in October of 2000.

She was born in Brighton, MA on December 16, 1926, the daughter of Lawrence E. and Minerva (Dunham) Oickle. She lived most of her life in Western Massachusetts. She was a 1945 graduate of Greenfield High School and 1946 graduate of Northampton Commercial College. She received her B.A. cum laude with honors in English from the University of Massachusetts in 1963; a Master of Arts in Teaching from Smith College in 1964, and PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts in 1973. Following one year of teaching English at Mahar Regional School, she joined the faculty of Greenfield Community College in 1965. She moved through the ranks to full Professor over the next 25 years and served as Chair of the Division of Humanities for nine years. She was one of the originators of the Pioneer Valley Studies Program, which preceded the Pioneer Valley Institute, the Developmental Studies Program, and the Women's Studies Program. An American Literature scholar, she was instrumental in the founding of the Archibald MacLeish collection at GCC and the subsequent formation of the Friends of the MacLeish Collection, for which she served on the Executive Committee until her death. She co-chaired the national MacLeish Symposium in 1982 and presented numerous papers, readings, and lectures on the poet as well as authoring articles and books about him and his work. As co-author and editor, she published three books related to MacLeish, including the only bibliography of his works and the autobiographical interviews done with poet and titled Reflections. She also co-edited two college English textbooks and published a number of short stories, poems, and essays in such periodicals as The Mark Twain Journal, North Essex Review, and Yankee.

She has been an active member of the First Congregational Church in Greenfield, MA and was an associate member of the West Yarmouth Cong. Church.

She is survived by two sons: Rev. Dr. Gordon and his wife Diane of Keene, N.H. and Mark and his wife Sonja of Gardner, MA; a foster daughter: Sandra Jardine and her husband Cesar of Monson, MA; a brother: Alvin Oickle of Daytona, FL and a sister, Valerie Bonzek and her husband Donald of Ludlow, MA; three grandchildren: Ryan and his wife Ana of Miami, FL, Jason and his wife Carrie of Gardner, MA and Lyndsey of Washington, D.C; three foster grandchildren: Richard, Tasondra, and Michael Jardine; two step-grandchildren: Mandy Meaney and her husband Tom, and Michael Richards; seven great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be Monday (12-1-2008) at 4:00 P.M at the First Congregational Church, 43 Silver St., Greenfield, MA. The Rev. Judith Kinley, Pastor will officiate. Burial will be at the convenience of the family.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Drs. Frederick E. and Helen E. Ellis Scholarship Fund, c/o GCC Foundation, Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301.

Kidder Funeral Home, 1 Parker Ave., Northfield, MA is in charge of arrangements. To send condolences or for directions please visit

www.kidderfuneralhome.com