Elaine Ellis

Born on May 28, 1939, to Anthony and Evangeline (Manolis) Chicaderis in Manchester, N.H., Elaine passed away suddenly but peacefully on May 3, 2025, at the age of 85. Her life was grounded in a large extended family, countless close friends, and the traditions of a close-knit Greek Orthodox community.

Elaine grew up surrounded by so many close relatives that anyone around her own age was undoubtedly a cousin, and anyone older was surely an aunt or uncle. The seasons followed the cycle of liturgical holidays, filled with family gatherings and feasts. Summers on “the farm” were some of her most treasured memories and the source of wonderful family stories that she recounted with warmth and humor throughout her life.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Keene State College but quickly combined her enjoyment of children and life-long love of books into a fulfilling career as a school librarian. She returned to school in mid-life to earn a master’s degree in library science. She understood the power of stories instinctively and was a wonderful storyteller. Hearing her describe a movie or event was almost better than being there in person. She had a gift for telling stories that bind families together, and had many long, wonderful conversations with her family and friends, especially all her grandchildren.

Elaine spent a decade living in Alaska before settling with her family in Vernon, Vermont, and ultimately returning to Keene. No matter where she went, she made new friends while staying close with old friends through the years, whether across town or across continents.

Her Orthodox faith was the cornerstone of her life. At St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Keene, she was not just a member but a pillar of the community. She served on the Parish Council as Stewardship Chair, and for decades coordinated stewardship, organized volunteers, and led the Christmas Bazaar with sharp attention to detail. Her pride in her Greek heritage was lifelong, and manifested in her maintaining her Greek language skills, singing in the church, and cooking wonderful Greek food for family and friends.

She loved flowers and birds and kept her yards alive with colorful gardens and bird feeders. At least one cat, and sometime several, always kept her company, together with two enthusiastic dogs over the years and the occasional guinea pigs and gerbils home from the library over the summer. She spent time almost every summer of her life gathered with family at the beach in either New Hampshire or Maine.

Elaine loved to travel, especially with family. Her adventures included several cross-country treks between Alaska and the East Coast, visiting her son in West Virgina, travels through Europe, pilgrimages to Greece and Italy, and even, in her 80s, a river adventure up the Rhine with her daughters, finishing in the tulip fields and canals of Holland.

Elaine’s dedication to family was shown most strongly through her caregiving, not only for her children, but also for her aunt, her parents, and especially in her years of committed and compassionate care for her husband Bill through his long battle with Alzheimer’s. They were married for 58 years before his passing in 2020.

She spent her final years in Keene, near her daughter as well as many friends from church and her Keene State College days. Her last couple months were spent at American House, with gratitude for their care and comfort, and especially for the warm friendships she made there as well.

Elaine will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her children: Joanna A. Ellis-Monaghan and husband John Ellis-Monaghan; Maria Oberlander and husband Robert Oberlander; and Anthony Ellis and wife Tina Ellis. She is also survived by her brother Arthur Chicaderis and his wife Dorothy; her brother-in-law Daniel Ellis and wife Mem; grandchildren Eva Ellis-Monaghan and husband Charles Myer, Isaiah

Ellis-Monaghan, Francis Ellis-Monaghan, Mikaela Oberlander, Emma Ellis, and Megan Ellis; great-grandchildren Charles William Myers and Felix Alexander Myers; and nieces and nephews Wendy Mello, Robin Hayes, Samantha Chicaderis, and Brooks Bancroft.

Elaine was the center of many circles—family, friends, fellow church members—and she wove them all together through conversation, compassion, and her gift for stories. She gave of herself generously, keeping faith, and keeping family connections and friendships strong across all time and distance.

May her memory be eternal.

Family and friends are invited to call on Monday, May 12, 2025, from 10:30am to 11:30am at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 70 West Street, Keene, NH. A funeral service will start at the church at 11:30am followed by a committal service in the West Cemetery, Bradford Road, Keene.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Elaine’s memory may be made to St. George Greek Orthodox Church, PO Box 392, Keene, NH 03431; or to the Monadnock Humane Society, 101 West Swanzey Road, Swanzey, NH 03446.