Ellen Willett

Ellen was born on April 11, 1932, in Martinsburg, Missouri, to Bill and Angie “Bryan” McCown. She grew up on the family farm located near Martinsburg. Ellen loved to tease her younger brother John and while her mom worked in the fields with her dad, she honed her cooking skills as a young child. Eager to move off the farm, she worked various jobs in places like Kansas City before she attended the University of Missouri where she majored in psychology. It was at the University of Missouri where she met her brother’s then roommate Joe Willett who was finishing his PhD. On December 27, 1955, wearing a red velvet dress, Ellen headed off with Joe to Fulton, Missouri to get married. Following Joe’s career, they soon moved to Maryland, then St. Louis, and Fort Worth before finally returning to Columbia in 1965—the town she always cherished. It was here where she and Joe lived for over 50 years and raised three daughters: Cynthia, Lori, and Julie.

Ellen’s passion for politics and injustice defined her. In the late 1960s, she joined Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and protested the Vietnam War. Along with her daughters, Ellen was active in the Women’s Liberation Movement. Ellen also saw herself as an advocate for students, especially graduate students for whom she hosted comedy and music-filled Christmas parties. Starting in the 1980s, Ellen enjoyed working in the mail room and University Hospital with colleagues she considered her dearest friends and strongest allies. Along with standing up for who and what she believed in, Ellen loved to frequent her favorite restaurants with Joe on an almost daily basis.

Ellen is survived by her daughters, Cynthia Willett of Atlanta, Georgia and her husband, Robert Johnson, of Columbia; Lori Willett of Savannah, Georgia; and Julie Willett and her husband, Randy McBee, of Lubbock, Texas. She also leaves behind five grandchildren: Leslie Chiang and her husband, Matthew Aharonov; Liza Willett and her partner, Mark Megremis; Joseph Boettcher and his wife, Vickie; Dylan McBee and his wife, Hope Bentley; and Chloe Willett and her boyfriend, Jacob Stork. Ellen also has two great-granddaughters, Gabriella Villalobos and Ivy Aharonov, along with other relatives and many friends who will cherish her memory.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joseph Willett; and her brother and sister-in-law, John and Carole McCown.

Memorial contributions may be made to Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia in lieu of flowers. Caring Hearts and Hands is a nonprofit charitable organization that provides families emotional support and their loved one’s end-of-life care—free of charge. For more information, regarding donations please see https://caringheartandhands.org or send directly to Caring Hearts and Hands of Columbia, 1307 W Broadway, MO, 65203.