Ellen Dierkes

Ellen Strother Dierkes, longtime teacher, died of advanced melanoma and uterine Cancers Friday morning at GBMC. She was 58. Although her family moved often throughout her life, she called Northern Baltimore City home for the past 26 years. Born November 20th, 1955 in Dallas, TX to Jo Anne and William Thomas Strother, Ellen's family moved for Tom's career with Union Carbide every few years, residing in Michigan, Connecticut, Illinois, and Ohio, before settling in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Ellen was the second of five children born to Tom and Jo Anne, four girls and one boy. She was ever the caretaker, babysitting and playing "teacher" with the neighborhood children long before she ever stepped foot in her own classroom. She decided at the age of seven that she'd one day be a teacher, and she became one of the best. She got her B.A. in education from Michigan State University in 1977 and began her career in Peters Township teaching at Venetia Elementary. She met the love of her life the summer of 1976 in Pittsburgh- John Dierkes, son of Polly and the late John P. Dierkes of Bethel Park, PA. They married in July of 1980 at St Bernard's Church in Mt. Lebanon surrounded by their wonderful family and friends. After John's graduation from Northwestern Business School, they settled in New York City where Ellen began teaching third grade girls at the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Manhattan. They were blessed with their first daughter, Emily Claire, in 1984. Their second daughter, Kathryn Caroline "Carly," joined them in 1987. The family moved to Baltimore in the summer of 1988 for John's job at Alex Brown & Sons. While she was raising her two daughters in Baltimore, Ellen was busy as a skilled seamstress for local interior decorators- she was incredibly creative. A talented floral arranger, she was president of the Homeland Garden Club in the mid-1990's. She was also involved in her daughters' lives at Brown Memorial School, the Cathedral School and later at Roland Park Country School. She was a valued member of the faculty at Garrison Forest School, teaching 5th grade for the last 14 years. She was active in recovery meetings, a "Friend of Bill"s since 2003. She enjoyed summers in Long Island as a member of the Lawrence Beach and Rockaway Hunting Clubs for the past 30 years. She loved an off-color joke and was a perpetually positive person. She will be well-remembered for that humor, her warmth, smile, humility, strength, and faith. Her funeral mass will be Friday, November 14th at 10am at Cathedral of Mary our Queen, 5200 N. Charles St. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Swim Across America, Team mELLENoma and Garrison Forest School in her name. In addition to her husband and two daughters, she is survived by her parents, Tom and Jo Anne Strother, both 89, McMurray, PA; Sisters Anne Holmes(Jim), Pittsburgh, PA, Emily Brown (Larry), Timonium, MD, Jody McIlmail (Tim), Urbana, MD, and brother Jay Strother (Ruthie), of Darien, CT; sister-in-law Kathy Nappi (Frank), Pittsburgh, PA; brother-in-law Paul Dierkes, NYC; 11 nieces and nephews, and countless heartbroken students and friends.