Ellen Vorys

https://webcasts.lifetributes.com/1098242

Ellen Stoneman Vorys, known as “Stoney” to most, passed away very peacefully on Tuesday October 20, 2020 in Granville. Born in 1925, Ellen lived in Bexley, Gahanna, and New Albany for most of her life. Ellen received loving support from the wonderful caring staff at Kendal at Granville for many years.

Family and friends meant everything to Stoney. Her love of family started with her college beau Nick. Their marriage of more than 60 years was the epitome of a wonderful loving lifetime partnership. She was his business partner and staunch supporter as Nick built his medical practice and energetically pursued his myriad clinical and business interests. Ellen was the on-site, on-demand, and on-going caregiver to their three children George, Ann, and Fred. While Nick was the more dynamic persona, Ellen was clearly the bedrock for him, the family, and their home. Upon hearing good news from one of the kids, Nick often said, “That is the greatest thing I’ve heard since your mother said ‘yes!’” And of course, everyone wanted to come back in another life to be one of Stoney’s beloved, beautiful, and very spoiled golden retrievers- Heide, Kelly, and all the Sandys.

Stoney always appreciated her good fortune and took the positive view for all good or bad circumstances. She had a tremendous zest for life that she readily shared. Like her sister and her father, to meet Ellen was to have a new friend. Her welcoming smile, light and lively eyes, and warm and gracious manner made for immediate and long-lasting personal friendships. Stoney had many life-long friends from the Columbus School for Girls (1943) where representing the Gold team and school she played field hockey and tennis. Her Smith College (1947) suite mates remained lifelong friends, in particular her roommate who Stoney introduced to her future husband, Nick’s high school and college buddy.

Stoney was active in many organizations and cultivated many lasting friendships along the way, including in Twig III, Junior League, the Garden Club, and the Board of the Columbus School for Girls. Ever the athlete, she always enjoyed joining friends at Columbus Country Club golf outings (well into her 80s); tennis matches at Rocky Fork; and on her “ladies’ ski trips” to Colorado.

Ellen especially loved Broad Street Presbyterian Church, where she was a member her entire life and served as a Deacon and Elder. She was very proud that five generations of her family have been, and still are, members of BSPC.

After being introduced to “the Grey Lady” Nantucket Island by her mother in the 1960’s, Stoney fell in love with its simple charm. The family started at a cottage -- “the House that Jack Built” -- built for six, but the Vorys and Osmun cousins smuggled and snuggled ten people inside for eight weeks. That began five plus decades of summer and autumn residence for both families as well as the Minister cousins. She loved sharing with family and friends her months of simple, carefree island life: beach days, foggy night bluff walks, golf with the ladies at Sankaty Head Golf Club and tennis at the Siasconset Casino, chocolate ice cream cones from the Book Store on Casino movie nights, the occasional blue fish dinner at the old Moby Dick restaurant, Nobadeer Beach cookouts, bridge games or a good book by the fire during raw and rainy afternoons, and most importantly just being with good friends and appreciating everyone’s kids as they grew up.

Ellen is survived by her sons George Nichols Vorys and Frederic Stoneman Vorys (Anne Marie Sferra); her grandsons George Christian Vorys, Kyle Nichols Vorys, and Frank T. Vorys; as well as her nieces and nephews Shelly Osmun Baranowski, David Osmun (Brigitta), Marion Osmun, Paige Minister Yates, Courtney Minister Hanig (Marco), Thorp Minister III, and Mark Minister. Those that preceded Ellen in death are her parents Frederic Francis Stoneman and Marion Smith Stoneman, her sister Ann Stoneman Osmun and Ann’s husband Robert, her husband Nichols Vorys, her daughter Ann Stoneman Vorys, her sister-in-law Marianne Vorys Minister, and her nephew-in-law Edwin Michael Baranowski.

A “virtual” service will be held on Sunday, November 1st. The web link will be posted on Ellen’s web page at the Schoedinger Northeast web site (https://www.schoedinger.com/obituaries/Ellen-Vorys/ ). To substitute for calling hours during this pandemic we ask that you raise your glass at your next cocktail hour and wish Stoney well on her journey. She would appreciate that. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Broad Street Presbyterian Church (https://bspc.org/donate/ ).