Ellen Pettaway

Ellen Pettaway was born on Nov. 6, 1930, in New York City to Ralph and Ruth Kirkland. Ellen had a loving childhood although, she did experience some of the hardships of the great depression 

  Ellen attended Wadleigh H.S. for girls, located in Harlem and graduated with her diploma in 1948. Upon graduation, Ellen entered the workforce in various fields including clerical, banking and publishing working for Chase Manhattan Bank and ultimately retiring from the H.W. Wilson publishing company. 

   Ellen met and married Willie Pettaway in 1955, but the union was short lived. Ellen later met Jimmy Glover and from that union had a son; her only child. In her later years, Ellen lived with and cared for her mother Ruth Kirkland and upon Ruth's passing relocated from the Bronx, where she resided for many years ultimately settling in East Orange, N.J. Ellen resided in East Orange until 2017, when she was no longer able to live on her own and moved to the Waterview Nursing home until her transition following a short illness. Ellen was 91.

      Ellen leaves behind a loving son Chris, granddaughters Simone and Sophia and great granddaughter Lilly.  Ellen lived her life with grace, treating people she met with kindness, never failing to leave them with a smile. It goes without saying that Ellen was loved immensely and will be truly missed beyond words.

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