old. Born in Greenwich, Ellen was the youngest daughter of Edward and Nellie Sheehan, the adored
wife of Vincent Franco, the beloved mother of four sons, Vinny, Chris, Mike and Rob Franco, and
the cherished grandmother of nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Ellen graduated from the Academy of the Resurrection in Rye, NY, and from the Greenwich
Hospital School of Nursing. Ellen worked for the first part of her career as a pediatric nurse at
Stamford Hospital. After raising her children, Ellen left the nursing field and worked in banking, at
the Putnam Trust Company in Greenwich, and later finished her career as the manager of the
Stamford Postal Federal Credit Union in Stamford, CT.
Above all else, Ellen loved her family, and she loved people. She was a devoted and much-loved
daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a loyal and devoted friend to her many
close friends. She was a beloved and caring nurse to her young patients, many of whom suffered
from severe medical challenges. And she was a supportive and helpful mentor to many members of
the credit union she managed, often coaching them in managing their finances and gaining a more
secure financial future.
Ellen had a great sense of humor, she loved to laugh, and she was fun to be with. Ellen was deeply
interested in people and their lives, she was a good listener, and she gave excellent advice. It was
often said that Ellen had a “sixth sense”, an ability to know things about people even before they
realized it themselves, especially with her children. She was always kind and caring and supportive
of reaching for personal goals; when a challenge existed Ellen’s response was invariably, “don’t
worry we will figure it out.” And as Ellen’s husband Vin and her sons would attest, Ellen loved to
talk. Her children often said that she and their father were a perfect match in that regard – Vin had
a strong, quiet personality, and Ellen cheerily “filled in the gaps”. Ellen, with her husband, created a
happy and loving home for their family, and she always told her children that she was “the richest
woman in the world because she had her husband and her four boys, which were more valuable
than gold and all she would ever need”. Ellen will be remembered as a beautiful, smart, caring,
funny and much-loved woman, truly one-of-a kind.
Ellen is survived by her sister, Nancy Sheehan, also of Greenwich, by her children Vincent Franco Jr.
(Dawn) of Old Saybrook, CT, Chris Franco (Rachel) of Old Greenwich, CT, Michael Franco (Carla) of
Riverside, CT, and Rob Franco (Sharon) of Johnson City, TN. , by her grandchildren, Kelly Hamann
Book (Greg), Andrew Franco, Lindsay Franco, Maddie Bauer (Dave), Grant Franco (Kiyoko), Turner
Franco, Jessica Franco, Cayla Franco and William Franco, and by her great grandchildren, Lucas
Hamann, Wally Bauer and CJ Bauer. She was predeceased by husband Vincent Franco Sr., who was
the love of her life, by her parents Edward and Nellie Sheehan, and by her brother Edward “Corky”
Sheehan.
A funeral service to celebrate Ellen’s life will be held at 10:30 am on May 13, 2024, at St. Catherine
of Siena Church, 4 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, CT. Interment to immediately follow at St. Mary’s
Cemetery on North Street in Greenwich.
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