Today, I went to the viewing of Mary Ellen, whom I knew years ago as Rannveigr when I was in the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). She was a deeply kind and calm person. I can’t remember ever hear her say a harsh word. She was also very dedicated to helping others.
This is a very old photo. Her children have grown into talented and wonderful adults. (Oddly enough, the man kneeling at the right is now my brother-in-law.) Even earlier, I remember sitting on the floor of the armory in Buffalo at Ice Dragon when she was pregnant with the twins. When her husband, Alexander, won Coronet Tourney (Aethelmearc was only a Principality then, whereas it is now a Kingdom), I remember that her daughter asked her, “Mommy, are you going to be Queen now?”, she responded with “No, Mommy is just going to be Princess. And she can just barely deal with that.” It had been kind of a long day, and I think she was kind of tired. It was good-natured. Several friends of ours got to be in their retinue at court, and that was a very great honor.
This is how I would like to remember her – smiling and surrounded by her family and people who cared about her. She was truly a class act.
Because of her service to the Society, she was made a Companion of the Order of the Pelican. For a brief time, I was her protege. (Knights have squires, Laurels – awarded for excellence in the arts and sciences – have apprentices and Pelicans have proteges.) At the time, I was Chronicler (newsletter editor) for the Shire of Stormsport and later for the Principality of Aethelmearc. This newsletter thing seems to be a very long-standing tradition for me.;) It might be getting close to half my lifetime now for doing a newsletter or being involved with some kind of periodical.
After I drifted away from the SCA, I bumped her into again when she was on the board of the AIDS Council of Erie County. Mary Ellen was a very skilled and compassionate doctor. She touched many lives in important ways and was unfailingly gracious and serene.
When I stopped at her coffin to pay my last respects, I thanked her for having been kind, for having been a shining example of service to others. Even though we hadn’t been in close contact for years, I felt that the experience of having known her added something important to my life that I hope I can pass along to others.
May she rest in peace and hopefully she knows how much folks appreciate her giving and selfless nature.
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