Ellen Margaret Brandlin

Ellen (Perry) Brandlin was born on August 17, 1930, in Alameda, California, where she was welcomed into the world by her parents, Clarence Perry and Sarah McHugh Perry. She had three brothers, Jim, Harold, and Larry. Ellen’s father and her older brother taught her to be tough, and Ellen’s mother and her two younger brothers taught her to be nurturing and loving.

Ellen’s family moved to Los Angeles when she was a young child, and they rented a house next to Nativity Catholic School with a convent of nuns who became very influential in her life. As a preschooler, Ellen was so anxious to start school that the nuns actually allowed her to sit quietly in the back of the room to observe but not participate, and Ellen gladly showed up every day to learn.

Whenever Ellen heard the sound of the piano in the convent, Ellen would be drawn closer to it, so one day, one of the nuns invited her in to sit on the piano bench, and she gave Ellen her first piano lesson. After that, Ellen returned each afternoon to practice reading music and playing the piano. When she was just nine years old, Ellen confidently stepped in to fill in for the lady who usually played the organ during Sunday Masses, and she did a great job!

When Ellen was 12, she took the bus to go to work part-time at Woolworth’s in downtown Los Angeles for several years. She enjoyed the responsibility and confidence she felt to be able to succeed at work and to know that she could financially provide for herself and others.

Whether at home, at school, or at play, Ellen was always a leader. In her neighborhood, she enthusiastically joined in competitive games with other people her age. She gave it her all, and she loved winning. In her senior year at St. Mary’s Academy, she was both class president and the captain of the tennis team.

One Friday night during her senior year of high school, Ellen and her brothers were invited by her brother’s friend, “Bob,” to a football game at Loyola University. After the game, when Bob was dropping Ellen and her brothers off back to their house, Bob touched Ellen’s arm and asked her if she would like to go for a drive. Ellen said “Yes”, and they drove to the beach. That became the first time that Bob shared with Ellen his hopes and dreams about his future. Ellen happily accepted many other invitations from Bob, and they attended Ellen’s High School Senior Prom together.

After high school graduation, Ellen felt a strong religious calling, so she entered the convent, or as her brother Harold used to call it “the nunnery”. She began her religious life there as a novice. During those years, novices could only receive one visit per month from their families, and any letters that were sent to the novices were opened and thoroughly read by the Reverend Mother before giving them to the novice to whom they were addressed.

In order to send Ellen encouragement (with Ellen’s mom’s approval), Bob wrote Ellen letters of encouragement while she was in the convent, and he signed them from “Uncle Bob”.

Ellen continued her vocation until she was preparing to take her vows. When asked what name she had chosen to be called after she would take her vows, Ellen said that she had chosen the name “Sister Mary Ellen”.

During the monthly family visiting day for the novices in October that year, while Ellen was waiting for her family to arrive, she was very moved when she saw the nieces and nephews of another novice arrive. These little ones were dressed in Halloween costumes. Ellen found herself with tears in her eyes as she said to herself, “That is the life that I want. I want to be a wife and a mother, and I want to have my own family.” Soon thereafter, Ellen left the convent and returned home to search for a job, which she found working in Downtown Los Angeles for the City of LA.

Ellen readily admitted that she had to “chase Bob around for the next year” until Bob felt ready to get married, which was on September 16, 1950. Following a beautiful wedding, Ellen and Bob happily drove off on their honeymoon, that is until their car broke down near Bakersfield. Their mechanical problems delayed them for a bit, but it helped them practice their problem-solving skills, and by the next day, they were on their way!

When Ellen and Bob returned from their honeymoon, they set up their first home, a rental unit in which they were happy together, but they also yearned for their own home.

Ellen continued to work until their children were born. From the moment she became a mother, Ellen had a quiet certainty that being a devoted wife and a loving mother to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren would be her true life’s mission, and it was.

Ellen lovingly gave birth to eleven children. Six of those children are here today attending her services and celebration of life. Sadly, five of her children were premature and did not survive more than a few days. The loss of those children was devastating to Ellen, but she didn’t give up her desire to have a large, wonderful, loving family.

Ellen’s number one favorite activity was to hold babies. She naturally gravitated towards them and would cuddle with them. God blessed her with six children, sixteen grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. Needless to say, when the Brandlins get together, it is normal to have more than 50 people in one place who are all related by blood or marriage to Ellen and Bob, and this family loves get-togethers.

Ellen and Bob bought their first two-bedroom home in 1954, followed by four other larger homes as their family grew. Ellen was very active in her children’s lives and donated many hours to volunteer at her children’s schools and their church and participated in El Segundo’s storied youth baseball leagues, scouts, and many other activities. She also was active in games and sports in the local El Segundo bowling league and in Marine League Tennis.

Bob often worked six days a week in his real estate practice where he not only bought and sold homes as a real estate broker, but he had homes built as a general contractor and developer. Ellen supported his business by helping Bob make business and investment decisions and by being the bookkeeper and tax preparer.

Although Ellen was a small Irish woman whose stature was only 5’ 6” tall on her tip-toes and maybe 120 pounds with sand in her shoes, she never had to wait for Bob to come home when one of her high-spirited children broke the rules or was disrespectful. Ellen could be a big tender teddy bear or a hard-as-rock drill sergeant, and her children knew better than to test her.

When their children began living their own lives outside the family home, Ellen and Bob were gratefully able to continue enjoying each other’s company alone together for many more years while enjoying family gatherings and visits.

A number of years ago, Ellen began to slow down and struggled to remember names and life seemed to change as she began to need more assistance. Her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren made time to have regular meaningful visits and spending quality time together, which always brightened her spirits.

Last Saturday evening, as we watched Ellen courageously face the last moments of her life, she seemed to look beyond us, and her gaze was warm and unending. We imagined that she was beginning to be reunited with her parents, her brothers, and the five babies she gave birth to, whom she had loved all these years, and who were awaiting her arrival to begin their new life together in Heaven.

Ellen has left lasting memories, goodness, and love in so many people’s lives and she will live in our hearts forever.

The Funeral Mass will be held at Saint Anthony Catholic Church, 720 E Grand Ave, El Segundo, California, on September 25, 2026, at 10:00 am, followed by Committal at Holy Cross Cemetery, 5835 W Slauson Ave, Culver City, California, on September 25, 2026, at 12:00 pm.