Ellen Novey Phillipson

Ellen Marie was born on November 15, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio, the second daughter to parents Joseph and Sophia Novey. She grew up in a modest home in Cleveland with her older sister, younger brother and sister.

Not long after graduating from Mayfield Heights High School, Ellen met the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life while working at her first job at a Travel Agency located in the Graduate House at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Gordon, a resident at the Graduate House and student from Jamaica, was smitten at first sight.

Ellen and Gordon were married (as soon as Joe and Sophie would allow) during a snowstorm on January 22, 1966. While honeymooning in Jamaica, they enjoyed the hospitality of Gordon’s parents, Sidney and Ena Phillipson, who would later share a home with their son and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren for many happy years in Houston, Texas.

Ellen and Gordon remained virtually inseparable in their 54 years of marriage, sharing many adventures together, until February 27, 2020, when Ellen finally succumbed to the breast cancer she had quietly but bravely battled since her initial diagnosis in 2008.

Ellen will be fondly remembered by her children as a loving mother and tireless cheerleader for them. Her friends and family will cherish the memory of her radiant smile, her warmth and openness of spirit, her faith, and her love of life. She had a gift for connecting with others – whether a neighbor, a friend, or someone she just met in the waiting area at the treatment center – always taking the time to learn each person’s story.

Ellen leaves behind her adoring husband Gordon, her son Christopher and his wife Christa and children, Joseph and Emma, son Michael and his wife Sonya and their children, Aidan and Nicholas. She is also survived by her sister Judy Nakasian and her husband Al, her brother Michael Novey and his wife Melanie, and her sister Kathy Hartley and her husband Neal.

A funeral mass will be held for Ellen at the Emmaus Catholic Parish, Lakeway, Texas, on July 21, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., with interment at the Church immediately following the service.

Ellen Marie was born on November 15, 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio, the second daughter to parents Joseph and Sophia Novey. She grew up in a modest home in Cleveland with her older sister, younger brother and sister.

Not long after graduating from Mayfield Heights High School, Ellen met the man with whom she would spend the rest of her life while working at her first job at a Travel Agency located in the Graduate House at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Gordon, a resident at the Graduate House and student from Jamaica, was smitten at first sight.

Ellen and Gordon were married (as soon as Joe and Sophie would allow) during a snowstorm on January 22, 1966. While honeymooning in Jamaica, they enjoyed the hospitality of Gordon’s parents, Sidney and Ena Phillipson, who would later share a home with their son and daughter-in-law and two grandchildren for many happy years in Houston, Texas.

Ellen and Gordon remained virtually inseparable in their 54 years of marriage, sharing many adventures together, until February 27, 2020, when Ellen finally succumbed to the breast cancer she had quietly but bravely battled since her initial diagnosis in 2008.

Ellen will be fondly remembered by her children as a loving mother and tireless cheerleader for them. Her friends and family will cherish the memory of her radiant smile, her warmth and openness of spirit, her faith, and her love of life. She had a gift for connecting with others – whether a neighbor, a friend, or someone she just met in the waiting area at the treatment center – always taking the time to learn each person’s story.

Ellen leaves behind her adoring husband Gordon, her son Christopher and his wife Christa and children, Joseph and Emma, son Michael and his wife Sonya and their children, Aidan and Nicholas. She is also survived by her sister Judy Nakasian and her husband Al, her brother Michael Novey and his wife Melanie, and her sister Kathy Hartley and her husband Neal.

A funeral mass will be held for Ellen at the Queen of Angels Catholic Parish, Spicewood, Texas, on July 21, 2021, at 2:00 p.m.