Ellen Joan Solomon

Ellen Joan Solomon passed away peacefully of lung cancer on November 26, 2020.  She was born in Orange, NJ on August 26, 1943 to Mildred and Abraham Segaloff.  At age 6, she moved to Wilmington, NC with her mother and step father, Abram Solomon.  In 1965, Ellen graduated from UNC-CH, and subsequently earned a Master’s Degree in organizational development from American University.  Her professional career in organizational development spanned multiple agencies/companies and cities, including the Department of Labor in Washington DC and Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY.  In 1993, she created her own organizational development consulting firm, Strategic Change, Inc., which she ran successfully for 18 years out of Durham, NC and Cambridge, MD.  Ellen was a graduate of Leadership America, a national women’s leadership program, and was a Board member of Leadership America NC.  In 2011, she retired her business and moved back to Wilmington where she became active in the Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow, mentored UNC-W students, and attended to her aging mother.  Throughout her life, she pursued her passion for books and travel.  A voracious reader, she loved to curl up for hours with a good book, her two cats by her side.  She travelled extensively, visiting over 40 countries, with many trips to Europe to explore Roman ruins, find the best gelato, and check out the local culture.  She relished sitting on the beaches of Caribbean islands, admiring the blue green ocean water and the white sand.  Ellen had a talent for collecting friends each place she lived and retaining those friendships over time.  She maintained a caring connection with her ex-husband and a loving relationship with past partners.  She was often the glue that brought her family together.  She is survived by her brother, Jake “Jack” Solomon of San Rafael, CA; her sister, Laura Solomon of Burlington, VT; two nephews, David Solomon (Denise Odenwalder) and Daniel Solomon (Terri Tang); and five great nieces and nephew, all in California.  A private service will be held at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lower Cape Fear Life Care or to Habitat for Humanity.