Ellen Danz Forbes

Ellen was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 30, 1945 to John (Jack) and Norma Danz. She spent her childhood and young adult life in Baltimore and graduated nursing school as a Registered Nurse.

Ellen moved to Sarasota, FL with her husband, Bob in 1973, where she raised two daughters and practiced nursing, while also staying very involved as a member of First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota. She was a skilled dialysis nurse for over 50 years, most of that time being spent caring for patients in Sarasota at various medical centers including Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Although she specialized in dialysis care as a Certified Nephrology Nurse, Ellen also spent time working with Hospice, several outpatient dialysis centers, and worked in Memorial Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit bringing care and kindness to the most vulnerable patients.

Ellen also had a very strong faith and deeply believed in sharing it with others. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota for over 40 years, serving as a member of the session, a youth leader, Sunday school teacher, and founder of their Parish Nursing program. In 2006, when a portion of Oak Street, the church’s home and one of the oldest original brick streets in Sarasota was slated to be removed by the city, Ellen and her husband Bob conceptualized and designed a labyrinth, repurposing the old bricks on the church property. As demolition of the old street began, church members, including Ellen and Bob, gathered and cleaned bricks by hand, and used them in creating the 11-circuit labyrinth path inspired by the one at Chartres Cathedral in France, a city that Bob and Ellen visited frequently and was a favorite vacation destination.

After Ellen’s retirement, she and Bob enjoyed traveling, especially internationally, taking numerous trips to Scotland, France and many other European countries. Ellen was an avid reader, and you could often find her in her favorite chair reading a book with a hot cup of tea. She was passionate about politics and theology and enjoyed conversing about both. She thoroughly enjoyed the arts that Sarasota has to offer and frequently attended shows at the numerous performing arts centers in town including a love for the Ringling Museum which was right down the street from where she lived for 45 years. But most of all Ellen enjoyed spending time with her family and grandchildren, who she loved dearly.

As they entered their later years, Ellen and Bob moved to Louisville, KY in 2021 to be closer to family. After developing Alzheimer’s Disease in 2023 and having associated health challenges, she spent most of her remaining days in memory care with her husband Bob at her side.

She is survived by her loving husband of 56 years, Robert (Bob) Forbes and daughters Jennifer Pruitt (Brad) and Melissa Lowery (Brian), as well as four grandchildren Aidan, Sarah, Logan and Austyn. She is also survived by her brother Jack Danz, sister-in-law Maureen Danz, sister Susan Costello, and brother-in-law John Costello. In addition, Ellen is remembered by many extended family members and friends who will deeply miss her.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, February 21 at 11:00 am at First Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Ellen’s memory to The Alzheimer’s Association (alz.org) or Hosparus Health Louisville (HosparusHealth.org).