Ellen M. McKee

September 29, 1947 - January 17, 2021

Ellen Mary McKee passed away peacefully, wrapped in love, in her home on Sunday, January 17, 2021. She was courageous in her 15-month fight against stage IV pancreatic cancer, maintaining strength, perseverance, and positivity in the most difficult of years under the most difficult of circumstances - a testament to her character and unyielding faith in God. Born on September 29 1947, Ellen (Ruck) - was preceded in death by her adoring parents Julia and Al, her brother Ron, and her loving husband of thirty-two years - Dennis. She is survived by her older brother Jim Ruck (Gail Britanik), four adult children Mike McKee (Laura), Claire Monk (Adam), Katie Klakos (Fran), and James McKee (Kat), and the loves of her life - her ten grandchildren Dylan (16), Grace (13), Vinnie (12), Sully (12), Maggie (11), Levi (9), Livvy (8), Jack (7), Etta (4) and Lucy (3). Ellen walked through life gracefully, with kindness and love to light her way. She was a beautiful blend of selfless and stubborn, fiercely devoted to family and friends. She was a language arts teacher in Westerville for over twenty years and helped to found a service club at Heritage Middle School. An avid Ohio State Buckeye and Steelers' fan, she never missed a game. She loved to bake and had a sweet tooth unmatched by many, except for maybe her grandchildren. Learning to play guitar later in life, one of her favorite things to do was to play songs alongside her children and grandchildren. Even in retirement, Nana's daycare provided joy in watching over all of her grandbabies - nurturing them - through reading, arts and crafts, neighborhood walks, adventures to the pool, the zoo or a local park, baking, singing and dancing. The McKee family has strong roots grounded in love, faith, kindness, empathy and service. Ellen (and Dennis) nurtured these roots. Her tree is the biggest and most beautiful, with the strongest and broadest branches, including immediate and extended family, friends and acquaintances, and the doctors, nurses and staff at The James who cared for her over the past year. She was a surrogate mother to many, welcoming anyone to a seat at her table with open arms. Her kind words provided peace, and her smile brought light to the world even in the darkest of times. She will be forever missed but always with us as we commit to being strong and courageous, celebrating joy, gifting kindness, extending our table to those in need, and loving deeply. Mom's smile will shine down on us always through the Sun, the stars, the Moon and rainbows. We love her to infinity and beyond. Her tree of life will continue to grow as a symbol of her life, her love, and her legacy. There will be a private Funeral Mass at St. Paul Catholic Church on Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 10am with a graveside committal following at Resurrection Cemetery. Both services will be limited to immediate family due to COVID safety concerns; however, we will be recording and streaming it for those who want to join us online. The service will be available on the following sites: https://www.facebook.com/stpacc/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4--7FM5Ih7xtKVYFtuaVJg In lieu of flowers, donations to benefit pancreatic cancer research at The James Cancer Hospital can be made here: https://buckeyefunder.osu.edu/EllenMcKee; We are planning a celebration of the life of Ellen Mary McKee in late Summer 2021. Details will be forthcoming.