Ellen Fletcher Terry

Ellen Fletcher Terry, age 67, died Thursday, May 23, at UAMS in Little Rock following complications during emergency heart surgery. She will be remembered for her devotion to family, especially her beloved parents; her loyalty to her friends; and her service to the Arkansas Pioneers Association. Ellen was born in Little Rock on June 25, 1951, to Elizabeth "Betty" Kilbury Terry and William "Bill" Leake Terry, the middle of three sisters. In kindergarten, she joined the inaugural class of the Cathedral School at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, where she was a lifelong parishioner. She attended Pulaski Heights Junior High, where she was a cheerleader, and went away to high school at All Saints Episcopal School in Vicksburg, Miss., graduating in 1969. From a young age, Ellen was distinguished by her athletic ability, with a talent for tennis and swimming, which she cultivated both at home and at Camp Junaluska in Waynesville, N.C. In junior high, she swam on the Y.W.C.A. swim team (back when the Y.W.C.A. was in the building later converted to the Rose Law Firm), and she was eventually recognized as an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) swimming champion for her backstroke. Ellen also had a passion for ballet and tap dancing. She continued to take tap lessons and perform as an adult. After graduating from high school, Ellen earned an associate's degree at Pine Manor Junior College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, graduating in 1971, then matriculated to Vanderbilt, where she was a proud Chi Omega. She earned a B.A. in English in 1973. She would go on to receive a M.Ed. in Adult and Lifelong Learning at the University of Arkansas and had a career as a substitute teacher in the Little Rock School District. Ellen made her debut at the Little Rock Country Club in 1970. She is survived by her mother, Betty Terry; sisters, Beth Foti (Tom) and Susan Borne' (Robin); nephew, Fletcher Foti (Kerry Fleisher); nieces, Eliza Borné (John Williams) and Rachael Borne'; great-nephew, Jethro Foti; and great-niece, Madeleine Borne'-Williams. She was predeceased by her father, Bill Terry. Throughout her adult life, Ellen overcame many health challenges and was much admired by her family and friends for her resilience and perseverance. She held leadership roles in the Arkansas Pioneers Association, where she was the incoming vice president. One of her fondest memories of recent years was co-chairing a high tea at the Terry Mansion, the antebellum home where her father grew up and which is now known as the Arkansas Arts Center's Terry House Community Gallery. She cherished her friends and looked forward to regular gatherings with her "Breakfast Birthday Club." The family is grateful to Ellen's dear friends who provided her with so much happiness, including the Birthday Club members, Valerie Dunn, and Rudy "Paco" Ramirez, and to the many doctors and staff at UAMS and GAIN, Inc., who provided support along Ellen's healthcare journey. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Arkansas Arts Center's fund for the Pike-Fletcher-Terry House (P.O. Box 2137, Little Rock, Ark. 72203-2137). A graveside memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 25, at 11 a.m. at Mount Holly Cemetery (1200 Broadway Street in Little Rock), with The Rev. Canon Dr. J. Russell Snapp officiating. Arrangements are by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.