My Aunt Ellen was a trailblazing attorney in her life but more importantly she had the wisdom to know that her greatest joys and accomplishments would come through her family and friends. She was a super aunt to my siblings and me. As a devoted mother and grandmother to Cynthia, Mary, Ian, and Danny, her love and understanding made them into the people they are today. Her years with John brought happiness for many years that unfortunately could not have been even longer.
Aunt Ellen was especially a great daughter and sister. Even though her career took her far from her home, she made sure that she was always a part of their lives. Upon her retirement, Aunt Ellen moved home to care for my grandmother and mother and was a great comfort to them. My mother loved the time with Aunt Ellen during those years.
Also, a shoutout to those great summers in Betula, which would not have happened without John’s and Aunt Ellen’s work in organizing them.
I always will love and miss you.   John, Cynthia, Mary, Ian, and Danny --  I am sorry for your loss.
Love, William

John Malizia, my cousin and best friend growing up, and I spent a lot of summers in Emporium. We were crazy about baseball and sports and we spent a lot of time at the playground. Ellen was a kindred spirit and she spent a lot of time there too. She was very good too. I got to know here as one of John's pals during those summers when I was just part of the gang. The only time I ever heard her brag about anything was a few years ago when she said she struck John out in a championship game and it made the newspaper.
Time went by and I lost touch with Ellen until I entered Penn State a year behind her. She was very well known on campus because of her intelligence, leadership, involvement in a lot of things as well as her beauty. Knowing this I was too intimidated to approach her to even say hello and I never did during those years. She did so many things at Penn State that some of her accomplishments spilled over into my college yearbook which was a year after her graduation.
Many years later Ellen married cousin John and I got to know her again. My wife Jean and I visited them in Emporium and at various family functions in Sykesville. Ellen and John also visited us in Charlottesville, Va. and Chapel Hill, NC. I learned that it was a mistake not to have renewed our old friendship when I was at Penn State. She was still the wonderful, down to earth, friendly
person that I knew in the playground days. In spite of her many successes, she had not changed the important things. In 2007 Ellen and Cynthia stopped by our house in Charlottesville for a short visit on their way north from Florida. We had a wonderful time visiting Thomas Jefferson's home (Monticello) and James Madison's home (Montpelier). Jean and I had a great time too. We finished the visit with a nice picnic near the ruins of an old Virginia mansion.
These are the photos in the photo album which is part of this tribute to her.
Ellen was an extraordinary person in so many ways. It was a joy to know her, both as a young girl and a mature accomplished person and a member of our broad Zbailey family. We will miss her.
Mike and Jean Zbailey
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Ellen's family and mine go back over 100 years. Her mother, Mary, and mine, also Mary, were classmates in Emporium schools. Ellen and Esther and their
parents Mary and John were our neighbors in South Park in Emporium from 1945 to 1962. Ellen was a highly intelligent and athletic young girl, if schools had girls sports teams when she was young she would have been an all-star. I was able to keep-up with her legal career success through occasional visits and her mother Mary. I lived in NY City when she had her first child in Brooklyn, and when she moved to New Jersey, she by chance hired my sister's husband, Carl Bianchi to her legal staff. When she moved to Seattle, I have cousins there that related her career progress. I always felt that her success was not only due to her exceptional intellect, but also as an expression of thanks to her family's love and support. Her mother, Mary, was the kindest woman I have ever met. In one way or an other, I have been able to maintain contact with Ellen, and when she returned to Emporium after retirement and married my life long friend, John, I was pleased to see them on my occasional returns to Emporium and here in Chattanooga and in Florida. I feel that her return to Emporium was due to the fact that she felt at ease with the place and people where she grew-up. I have viewed many of the photos included in this memorial and have experienced a flood of fond memories of knowing Ellen and her family. As I told John, I have lost one of the two longest known friends in my life. I will try to find some more photos to add to the list. Please add my sympathy to your list and my thanks for knowing Ellen.
With love, David & Penny Smith

Mary
We were sad to hear about Ellen’s death and her long ordeal. My fond memories of your mom go way back to NJ and though geography intervened, her empathy, kindness and wit remained in our memories. Lucy and I were so glad to hear she had refound John and were delighted to meet him. What a happy union!
Our hearts go out to you all.
Love Lucy and Phil

We are so sorry to hear about Ellen. What a beautiful lady inside and out. Ellen would always make sure to see us every time she came out west. Loved the few vacations we had with her and Johnny. We saw how much Ellen cared about her family. Truly one of the kindest people we have ever met. Had an amazing smile too. The stories - she had so many and we would all laugh at the adventures she had over the years. Love and hugs to all of you. Eric, Shelley and Kyle