ELLEN WILLSON

1953 - 2019

After a long battle with glioblastoma, Ellen Willson, 66, died peacefully at home on June 8, 2019 under the compassionate care of her husband and Arbor Hospice.
She was a lifelong nature lover, conservationist, hiker, and botanizer, whose indoor passions included weaving, spinning, knitting, quilting, and sewing. Her dedication, kindness, quiet competence, and management skills served her well in business, and in officer positions with the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild and the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild.
She leaves behind husband Bob Masta, sister Carol (William) DeJong, brother Philip (Kay) Willson, an uncle, nieces, nephews, cousins, loving in-laws, and many caring friends... as well as three looms, two spinning wheels, an Ironrite, 45 cubic feet of yarn in numbered and indexed boxes, and untold yardage of quilting fabric.
A celebration of Ellen's life will be held at the U.M. Matthaei Botanical Gardens auditorium on July 27 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. (Kiosk metered parking, 1.80/hr to $5.00 max, coin or credit card only.) Light refreshments will be served. To honor Ellen's care for the environment, we hope to minimize waste by using washable cloth napkins and drinking glasses where possible; you can help by bringing your own. There will be a short trail walk afterward to view Ellen's memorial bench.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations directly to Arbor Hospice, The Nature Conservancy, glioblastoma research, or your favorite charity.