Ellen Lisbeth Reichard

Ellen Lisbeth Reichard, born on November 1, 1935, to Alfred and Sine Jensen in Solbjerg, Denmark, passed away on January 28, 2026, at age 90. She is lovingly remembered by her children: Kim Holmes Ingvardsen and his wife, Marie; David Jonathan Reichard and his wife, Michele; and Karen Marie McDonnell and her husband, Stephen. Her many grandchildren—Lauren, Abigail (and Mitch), David Quinn (and Kelly), Brett, Michael, and Leah; Zachary and Taylor (and Jared); and Jens and Aksel—adored her for her sparkle and for her delicious made-from-scratch chocolate chip cookies. She was thrilled recently to meet her great-grandson, Henry.

Ellen was raised on a small farm in Denmark. Family lore has it that the feisty farm girl refused to kill a chicken when ordered to do so by a Nazi soldier.

She left Denmark in her twenties, beginning her adventures in Greece and Morocco before heading to Canada and then to the United States, where for different stretches of time, she lived in Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Maryland; Florida; and Virginia. Still, she maintained contact over the decades with her extended family in Denmark and leaves behind many fond memories with surviving nieces and nephews. She always enjoyed hosting her Danish family when they visited the US.

Ellen earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and worked for stints as a geriatric nurse and at a home for those with special needs. How lucky were those whom she cared for. With her charming smile and warm presence, she lifted spirits while administering medical care.

Her heart melted for animals. She took in any creature that was lost, hungry, injured, mangy, or pitiful. With a little bit of spoiling, they became her pets and returned her love with the special devotion of the rescued. In honor of her dedication to animals (and in lieu of flowers), donations may be made in her name to the ASPCA.