Ellen McManus

She was born in 1957 in Binghamton, N.Y., the seventh of nine children of the late Robert L. and Jeanette Manning McManus. The family soon moved to Albany, N.Y. where she attended School 16 and Mercy High School. She received an associate's degree in medical technology from North Shore Community College in Salem, Mass. After working in Salem for several years, she moved to Saratoga, N.Y. and worked at Saratoga Hospital as a phlebotomist. It was at this time that she decided to go for the job she had always wanted - physician.

Because medical school was so costly, Ellen came up with what seemed to many a crazy plan. She decided to join the Navy because she had heard they would cover most expenses of medical school, in return for several years of service as a naval physician. So that's what she did - never mind that she had managed to evade Phys Ed classes throughout high school - and that she could not swim!

She earned a pre-med degree from Russell Sage College in Troy, N.Y. and went on to George Washington University Medical School, where, older and female, she was not the typical beginning student. She earned her MD in 1992, and hired a limo to take her proud family from our hotel to the graduation ceremony.

Ellen's active duty included service at naval medical facilities in Norfolk, Va. and Cherry Point, N.C.

She moved to Columbus, Ohio as an attending pediatric physician in the emergency department and urgent care centers at Nationwide Children's Hospital. She was also clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Ohio State University College of Medicine. Her primary clinical, research, and educational activities included a focus on child abuse and emergency medicine. She also provided clinical assessments at the Center for Child and Family Advocacy.

Ellen loved her calling and took her role very seriously. She was strong, smart, and decisive. She was a mentor to her nieces and nephews, and was there for them no matter what their needs were. For the new parents in the family, she was their rock, guiding them into parenthood with an abundance of advice, calm reassurance, and firm suggestions about the best and safest way to raise their children.

She was a fierce advocate for her patients and we know there are thousands of little ones who benefited from her love, dedication, and passion, as did those adults around them who were advised, reassured, and comforted by her care.

She took the old adage "an army marches on its stomach" to heart, as evidenced by the many wonderful homemade meals she would bring to the ED on holidays - guaranteeing her team a hearty meal in the midst of what could be a hectic shift. Her love of cooking was shared often with her family, in the form of emailed recipes and gifts of fancy kitchen devices. She never said no to a very, very rare piece of beef.

Ellen was passionate about collecting art and enjoyed local arts and crafts shows, where she would choose thoughtful and beautiful gifts for her family and friends. She was a genius at photographing the hummingbirds that would come to her feeders, and was a master at identifying birds and flowers. She loved to travel, and took many memorable trips with our sister Kathy, as well as with other family members and friends. Her favorite destination was Poipu Beach on Kauai.

Ellen is survived by her eight siblings, Bob McManus (Mary), NYC; Katherine Bruin, Salem, Ma.; Thomas McManus (Claire), Arlington, Vt.; Christine Witkowski (Bernard), Scotia, N.Y.; Terry McManus (Pamela), Hebron, Ct., John McManus (Pamela), Columbus, Ohio; Mary Beth McManus (Lynn Tubbs), Delmar, N.Y.; Timothy McManus (Katrin), San Francisco, Calif.; 15 nieces and nephews; 16 great nieces and nephews; and her dear childhood friend, Karen Fredericks, Queensbury, N.Y. She will be dearly missed by us all.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, Attn: Development Department, 711 E. Livingston Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43205 or to a charity of your choice that benefits children.

Family will receive friends 2-3:30pm Saturday, May 15, 2021 at SCHOEDINGER NORTHEAST 1051 E. Johnstown Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230 where a Celebration of Life service will begin at 4pm. Due to COVID restrictions, seating for the service will be limited, however the service will be available via Webcasting by visiting this site and may be viewed live at 4pm or anytime thereafter.