Born in New York City, she was raised in Mount Vernon, NY, where she attended A.B. Davis High School. Ellie graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Interior Design and Architecture. This was where she met her beloved husband, Bill, in a statistics class.
Ellie was a stewardess and kindergarten teacher before becoming a homemaker. She was a long-time member of Chi Omega Sorority and Peoples Church, and was a volunteer for Sparrow Hospital, the East Lansing School System, and many other organizations that aligned with her passions.
She loved spending time at Higgins Lake, Michigan and Long Beach Island, New Jersey where she enjoyed slalom waterskiing until the age of 80 and swimming until the age of 96. Her greatest joys were reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family, especially her cherished grandchildren.
Ellie was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend and we all will miss her greatly. She is survived by her daughters, Gay Eleanor Heusner, Ann Heusner Van Baalen (Ken), and Lynn Heusner Garrett (Mike), her grandchildren Kelly Van Baalen (Raghav Mathur), Kaitlyn Van Baalen, Austin Garrett, and Lauren Garrett, and her nieces, nephews and numerous extended family members. She was preceded in death by her husband William W. Heusner, parents, Eleanor T. and William L. Fraser, her sister, Barbara F. Lawlor, and her son, Roy Scott Heusner.
The family will have a private burial. Extended family and friends are invited to attend a Visitation and Celebration of Life at 4:00 pm, October 12, 2025, at Michigan State University Club, 3435 Forrest Rd, Lansing, MI 48910, with supper to follow.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any of the following: William W. Heusner Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Kinesiology at Michigan State University (https://give.msu.edu/?sid=20948), William W. Heusner Endowed Swimming Scholarship at University of Minnesota (https://makingagift.umn.edu/give/fund.html?id=7180), St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Heart Association, or a charity of your choice.
