Ellen Lenk

1939 - 2024

Ellen Lenk
05/28/1939 - 11/20/2024
Ellen Boyd Lenk, 85, departed this Earthly plane the evening of November 20, 2024 in Tomball, Texas. Born Maude Ellen Tatum in Houston, she was the youngest of four girls, and the only one to have, just barely, been born in Texas, in which she took great pride. She grew up in the forest along Spring Creek at Aldine Westfield, on land that is now part of Mercer Arboretum, named for her Aunt Thelma, who instilled in her a great love for gardens and wilderness and wild things. She attended Reagan High School, where she met the love of her life, Frank Andrew Lenk, Jr., to whom she was married for 47 years. She attended University of Houston and then served as a stewardess for American Airlines. Early in their marriage, she and Frank ran an antique import and auction house business before getting into real estate. She doted on and was devoted to her husband, two children and her beloved dogs. A gourmet cook and self-proclaimed health food nut, she fed well anyone who entered her home. Always stylish and spirited, she was regularly involved in her community. She was a huge fan of Carl Sagen and Cosmos and loved to visit the museums. She preferred classical music and loved to have season tickets to the Houston symphony. In her fifties, she returned to the University of Houston for her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, graduating summa cum laude, the same year her daughter graduated from college. She was proud to join the San Jacinto Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she served as Conservation Committee Chair, and later as Chaplain. In her later years, she delighted in each of her five grandchildren. She is survived by her sister, Martha Booth, her two children, Sandra Haddock and her husband Rick and their children Sage and Kai, and Andrew Lenk and his wife Julie Beth and their children, Rileigh, Cole and Tate, as well as beloved nieces and nephews. As per her wishes, the family will hold a private memorial service in the Spring at Mercer Arboretum, while Thelma's Pink is in bloom. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens or the Mental Health Initiative. She flies free through the stars at last.