Ellen Wile

Ellen was born on November 16, 1956, and raised in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Shortly after completing a macro (government- and policy-focused) Master of Science in Social Work from Boston College in 1985, she relocated to Florida for a public relations position at the Manatee County Planning and Development Department, marking the first act of a 30-plus-year career rooted in civic service.

From 1985 to 2003, Ellen held a series of public relations roles across the public and private sectors in Manatee and Sarasota counties, serving as community relations manager at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, public liaison for Arthur Andersen Technology Solutions, and finally, as public relations coordinator for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee during a period of significant institutional growth and expansion in the early 2000s.

In the second act of her career, Ellen became a Florida Registered Paralegal specializing in land use, zoning, and community association law. She earned national certification as an Advanced Certified Paralegal in 2004, establishing herself as a respected member of the regional paralegal community. She worked for the law office of Najmy Thompson and served as president of the Southwest Florida Paralegal Association from 2013 to 2014.

Beyond her professional commitments, Ellen was a dedicated and active participant in the Palmetto community, often leaning on her deep knowledge of policy and tenacious spirit to advocate on behalf of her neighborhood at city commission meetings. She was a 1989 graduate of the Leadership Manatee program and an active member of the Altrusa Club of Bradenton.

An avid reader and lifelong learner, Ellen is remembered especially warmly for her many years of enthusiastic service with the Friends of the Palmetto Library, where she served as vice president until the time of her passing. Ellen was also a devoted animal lover, reflected throughout her years of volunteer service. She was a regular volunteer and adoption ambassador with the Greyhound Racing Dog Rescue Project for more than a decade, and also volunteered with Southeastern Guide Dogs.

To her family and friends, Ellen is admired and remembered for her enormous appetite — both literal and figurative. She loved learning about everything, from space exploration to international espionage to art heists to forensic science, and so much more.

She loved to travel and particularly delighted in educational trips. Whether exploring “Florida Cracker” agricultural history in southwest Florida with close friends, visiting NASA, taking a spy-themed tour in Washington D.C., or experiencing the Alaskan wilderness on a cruise with her longtime partner and spouse, Nancy, Ellen filled her cup with rich experiences and knowledge.

She loved sports — especially Tampa Bay Lightning hockey, whose games she regularly attended, as well as Rays baseball and Buccaneers football. She had a quirky sense of humor, and she loved to laugh — nothing delighted her more than a well-timed fart joke. And Ellen loved to eat. Despite her petite stature, she held the family title for “most likely to pack away a meal that could feed a linebacker and still have room for the biggest slice of chocolate cake.”

Ellen was predeceased by her parents, Edwin and Zita Wile, and her mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Carolyn Smith and Bob Smith. She is survived by her sisters, Kathleen MacLennan, Martha Wile, and Jenny Wile; her spouse, Nancy Smith; her in-laws, Oscar and Laureen Smith; her niece, Jessi Smith, and her close-knit circle of friends and chosen family including Cheryl Heggemeier, Betsy Reed, Patty Petruff, and many more.

Ellen's sharp intellect and uncanny attention to detail, her offbeat humor, her civic spirit, her courage, and her huge appetite for life (and barbecued baby back ribs) have left an enduring mark on all who knew her. She will be deeply missed.

A Celebration of Life will be held for Ellen Wile on Sunday, June 14, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. A casual dress code is welcome and encouraged. If you need a barometer for what "casual dress" means, just know that Ellen often wore a holiday-themed "Three Stooges" t-shirt to family Christmas.