Ellen Amelia MacDonald

Ellen Amelia MacDonald (née Hobbs) of Houston, TX, passed away peacefully at home on June 13, 2023, at the age of 93. Originally from Brooklyn, Ellen was generous, visionary, collaborative, egalitarian, determined, resourceful, and a woman of unshakable faith.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place on Saturday, August 26th at 11:00am, St. Philip Presbyterian Church (4807 San Felipe, just outside Loop 610 in the Galleria area). Wear your Astros colors!

Ellen MacDonald’s sixty-year career was defined by her passion for gerontological nursing, sparked on the drive home from work one day in 1972. Seeing several older adults literally parked in rockers on the porch of an “old folks home”, she was struck by how much more they deserved and had yet to offer, and by a vision of what their life could be. With a Bachelor of Arts from Houghton College, a Master of Nursing from Case Western Reserve University, and an adventurous, pioneering spirit, Ellen was poised to bring significant change to the face of older adulthood. And bring it she did.

As an RN certified in Public Health, Psych/Mental Health, and Gerontology, Ellen made considerable contributions to the field. After teaching at several colleges, establishing an older adult services program at a community mental health center, and serving as Director of Nursing in two skilled nursing facilities, Ellen joined the faculty of the Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. There she served as Division Head for Gerontology and was instrumental in establishing both the degree program in Long-Term Care Administration and the Center on Aging, where she was Associate Director of Community Affairs. She was Program Director for the Texas state Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, bringing it into residence at the Center on Aging, where it remains to this day.

A natural sub-specialty in dementia led to Ellen’s appointment to the Texas Governor’s Council on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders. She was two-term President of the Alzheimer’s Association Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter, and served as a board member of many organizations, including Texas Interfaith Housing, Amazing Place, Care for Elders, and the Houston-Galveston Council Department on Aging. After retiring from UT in 1999, Ellen served as the Vice President for Clinical Affairs at Sheltering Arms Senior Services, as Executive Director of the Senior Guidance Directory, and as an Eldercare Consultant in private practice.

Her outstanding contributions were recognized with the 1994 Joseph C. Valley Gerontological Professional of the Year award, the 2004 ABC Channel 13 Woman of Distinction award, and the 2005 Foley’s/Houston Chronicle SAVVY Award.

Ellen continued to share generously of her time and talent to help strengthen worthy community initiatives. She was a longtime board member of the Harmony Public Schools charter school system, where she contributed to the education and well-being of countless students. She also participated in Project Kindness, a program that pairs older adults with college honors students, allowing the generations to share their experiences with one another. Not surprisingly, the relationships she built deepened and endured long after the projects ended, right up to the day she went home.

Ellen was a lifelong devout Christian, her unwavering faith an integral part of her life. An active member of St. Philip Presbyterian Church in Houston, she cherished her role as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, a special type of deep service which ran parallel to that as the wife of an ordained Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Dr. Coval MacDonald, who preceded her in death.

Amid such wholehearted giving to her family and communities, Ellen always reserved prime energy for the Houston Astros. A lifetime baseball fan who grew up behind first base cheering the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field with her Aunt Nan, Ellen was present to witness the dazzling moment when Jackie Robinson took the field for the first time. She delighted in pre-game hobnobbing with the players as they autographed her cards, resulting in a full collection of the Boys of Summer… which met with tragedy when her mother discarded it during a cleaning sweep. Although Ellen never forgave her, they have no doubt made amends by now.

Ellen is survived by her daughter, Lisa Wellington, and her brother and sister-in-law, Wally & June Hobbs. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Coval, her brother, Hal, and her parents, Clarence & Ella Hobbs. She is also survived by four sets of non-DNA family (ever growing!): Karl & Diane Slaikeu (Erik & Kristina), Brian & Paula Snyder (Kerry & Kayla), Andy & Aileen McCormick (Drew, Jenna, and Sean), and Veli & Phoebe Baysal (Kamile & Miriam).

In lieu of flowers or gifts (or plants which will succumb to Lisa’s earnest but pitch-black thumb), please consider a donation either to St. Philip Presbyterian Church (Ellen’s beloved church home since 1968) or to Brazos Towers (where she enjoyed her last two years with dear friends old and new, among the most wonderful staff anyone could ask for).

For St. Philip, please click the link below. For Brazos Towers, please make your check out to Brazos Presbyterian Homes and send to Brazos Towers, Attn: Karen Davis, 4141 South Braeswood Blvd, Houston TX 77025. Both are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

A Celebration of Life Service for Ellen will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at St. Philip Presbyterian Church (4807 San Felipe, just outside Loop 610 in the Galleria area). Wear your Astros colors!