Ellen Tulloch

Ellen Gladys Dixon-Tulloch died on January 4, 2026 of complications from esophageal cancer. She was 78.
Ellen was born in 1947, the oldest of four children of a young army corporal who served in World War II and a chemist mom who worked for DuPont, both from Roanoke, Virginia. Ellen herself was born in Roanoke, delivered by the same doctor who delivered her parents. The family lived mostly in Maryland except for two years in Germany. She graduated from DuVal high school in Lanham, Maryland, and then headed to North Carolina for college. She put down roots, and remained in North Carolina for the rest of her life.
Ellen obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Anthropology and English and her undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, and her Master of Science degree in Anthropology and Animal Science from NC State University. She worked in cardiac research, co-authoring several research papers on fibrillation, and later managed the laboratory for the Duke University Biomedical Engineering department. She was named Technician of the Year by the American Association of Animal Science.
She and her husband Michael were voracious readers – every room of her homes included bookcases full of books on all topics from history to science, and especially biology. She was a Master Gardener, capable of making anything grow. She and Michael also appreciated local crafts, and collected and made beautiful pottery and art over the years.
Ellen was shy in front of the camera and disliked being the center of attention. But she was observant and thoughtful, and what she had to say was always worth hearing. She was close to her parents, and came home to see them at least twice a year, usually with homemade fudge and spicy pickles. She enjoyed Maryland crabs and every kind of ethnic food, with Thai being her favorite.
One of her favorite hobbies was dog training; her dogs regularly won awards in canine nose and agility trials. She was also a sucker for strays, and kept several medically-challenged dogs and cats as pets for years. She often said that she was more comfortable with animals than people, but she was a wonderful aunt to her nieces and nephews, enthusiastically cheering their successes. She was also a great comfort within her family as they underwent sickness and loss.
Ellen was realistic about her cancer diagnosis, and underwent lengthy and arduous treatments that put the disease into remission for several years. Unfortunately, it eventually returned and took her life within a few days of her most recent diagnosis. She was much admired for her strength and perseverance, and will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
Ellen was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 34 years Michael Tulloch, who died of cancer in 2024; her parents Thomas Owens Dixon and Mary Merchant Dixon, and her brother James Dixon. She is survived by her siblings Thomas O Dixon Jr (Brenda) and Judy Dixon, her nieces and nephews Emily, Morgan, Melissa, James, and Luke, and her grand-nieces and nephews Matilda, Ezra, Linus, Astrid, Caroline, Emma, and Owen. Financial donations in her memory can be sent to Cause for Paws of North Carolina (cfp-nc.org), a dog and cat rescue organization.