Mrs Mabel Ellis

Obituary & Life History

Mabel Marie Ellis Mabel Ellis, 89, of Oxnard, California passed away peacefully at home on July 13, 2010. She was born December 18, 1920 to Herbert...

Mabel Marie Ellis

Mabel Ellis, 89, of Oxnard, California passed away peacefully at home on July 13, 2010. She was born December 18, 1920 to Herbert and Annie Anderson in Dickinson, North Dakota, and was the youngest of four children. Her family enjoyed playing games every night and she was an expert bridge player; they had strong Masonic connections and she was a member of Rainbow Girls. She attended the local Teacher’s College but ended up following her love for secretarial work. She was a clerical assistant with the State Department in Washington, D.C. at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, and she was called suddenly to work in the code room – every report that went abroad contained her initials.

Mabel loved to dance and she met her beloved husband of 63 years, Jack Leroy Ellis, at a ship’s dance in Bremerton, WA in December 1946. True to the ways of the war years, they married soon after, in February 1947, before he set sail with the Navy. She was able to join him in Hawaii and eventually they lived in California, Maryland, Washington, and Connecticut. Their four children were born during those years. She enjoyed the life of a Navy wife and took in stride the constant relocations and calls to duty.

The family settled in Oxnard in 1962, where Mabel and Jack established close ties with All Saint’s Episcopal Church, the Masonic Lodge where Mabel was a member of Eastern Star, and several square dance clubs, foremost among them the Valley Stars. She also enjoyed playing bridge regularly, and was a member of the Oxnard Activity Club. Mabel and Jack were famous for their parties among these various groups, with huge tables of food filling the garage, a well-equipped bar set up in the laundry room, and laughing friends singing around the player piano.

Following her retirement after 20 years of service with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Civil Section, Mabel and Jack traveled extensively, seeing all of the fifty states as well as Canada, Mexico, Scotland, and England, birthplace of Mabel’s father.

Mabel is survived by her loving husband Jack; daughters Susan, Sally (husband Peter), and Sherry (husband Ron); son Bob (life-partner Bob); and two beautiful and adored granddaughters, Krista (husband Jon) and Claire. She is also survived by her sister Margaret and many nieces, nephews, and extended family. Her family, friends, faith, and love of life brought her great joy. We miss so very much her beautiful smile, generous spirit, love of a good time, and warm, loving heart. We loved her cookies, too! We are comforted knowing that she is in Heaven surrounded by loved ones, where she is probably laughing and saying “Deal ‘em!”

The family would like to thank her caregivers, especially Dee who cared for Mabel with love and tenderness. We would also like to thank the staff of Buena Vista Hospice for their wonderful attention and care.

An Episcopalian Eucharist will be held in celebration of her life on Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 11:00 am. at the Old Chapel, Chapel of the Islands, at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park, immediately followed by burial rites.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made in Mabel’s name to All Saint’s Episcopal Church, 144 South C Street, Oxnard, CA, 93030 (please note her name in the check memo).

Arrangements are under the care of Conejo Mountain Funeral Home and Memorial Park,
2052 Howard Road, Camarillo, CA, 93012, 805-482-1959.