Obituary of Ellen R. Prach

Ellen Raley Prach, 88, was born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and attended George Washington University on an academic scholarship. She majored in education, served as the George Washington football mascot, and met her husband John who was attending on a football scholarship. Their storybook romance began with their first date on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving in 1955. They were engaged that weekend and married the following September (1956). Ellen graduated in May 1957, pregnant with Mark who was born in August. Katherine (Kathy) was born in September 1958; Susan in August 1959 and Michael in September 1961.

Ellen and John moved to Millburn, New Jersey in 1963, and their home at 18 Old Short Hills Road immediately became a hub of constant activity. Ellen wrangled all four Prach kids to school and their associated activities each day, and never missed a school play, concert or sporting event. Outside of the family, she quickly engaged with the greater Millburn community, and her involvement continued through her life. She held long-term leadership roles with Girl Scouts, St. Rose of Lima Church (Life Lighters and Bereavement Group), Millburn Retired Educators, and Millburn Senior Citizens Advisory Committee. She was employed at the Millburn Middle School, directly across from the Prach family home, for almost 30 years, working as an administrative assistant and developing lifelong friendships with her colleagues. Her three-minute commute walking across the street was the envy of many!

Ellen was vastly talented. She was an accomplished seamstress, and took great pleasure in knitting, crocheting and other crafts. She loved to bake and treasured the traditional meals and desserts she established for the holidays: gingerbread at Christmas, pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, and Swedish Tea Ring for Easter. She refinished and reupholstered furniture, was a very good artist and calligrapher, and painted every room in the house. She could even be found on the roof painting the exterior of her home during lunch breaks.

Ellen was determined; she was tough. She worked side-by-side with John on their many home remodeling projects. She earned her motorcycle license at the age of 40 when everyone else in the family also got theirs. She stoically dealt with multiple surgeries for hip, shoulder and knee replacements. As a testament to her high endurance of pain, she even led a large group of teenage Girl Scouts on a primitive winter camping trip that involved teaching them to dig latrines and pitch their own tents.

Ellen valued and nurtured all her friendships, and was always giving to others, whether it be small gifts or endearing words of encouragement and support. She loved writing letters, visiting with anyone, and bought a car too big for her liking because she drove a group of friends to a lecture series, and wanted them to be comfortable.

She was fastidious in appearance – both personally and with her home. There were always wreaths and decorations on the front door. Window coverings and table dressings were refreshed seasonally throughout the year. It was important to her that she set a nice table for her family and guests. While she didn’t like to shop, Ellen had more clothes than anyone in the family. Each of her outfits included complementary accessories and jewelry – always color coordinated.  Ellen was always impeccably dressed.

The Prach house was filled with what Ellen called “treasures” – sentimental gifts, items filled with memories, and childhood craft projects that remained even 50-60 years after creation. Every room had deep meaning and emotion for her. You couldn’t give her a better compliment than saying her house felt like a home. It was full of love.

Ellen was profoundly proud of her children. Mark, Kathy, Susan, and Michael know this. They also know they were deeply loved, as were their families (9 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren). Ellen will be remembered as a role model of generosity, self-reliance, and resilience. She was truly remarkable.

In lieu of flowers, St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Avenue, Shorts Hills NJ 07078, is accepting memorial donations. The memo line on a check should identify “Restricted Memorial Fund” and the name “Prach.”