Ellen Paul Skelding Bernard passed away on March 5 in Yarmouth, one week before her 88th birthday.
Ellen was born in Boston, Mass., the daughter of Paul Skelding and Elizabeth Drake Skelding. She grew up in Hingham and Norwell, Mass. She attended the Putney School in Vermont and later graduated from the Mary Fletcher Hospital School of Nursing in Burlington. She married Anthony Marsingall Bernard in Boston on April 4, 1955.
Ellen and Anthony lived for many years in Erieville, N.Y., where Ellen had a small hobby farm while Anthony worked as a research biologist at Bristol Myers in Syracuse. After Anthony’s retirement, they moved to Searsmont, before finally settling in Damariscotta, where Anthony died in 2012.
Ellen was a keen gardener who loved birds and cared deeply about environmental issues. She died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at the home of her daughter.
She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Mary Skelding Davis.
She is survived by her children, Elizabeth Burtt of Yarmouth, Jennifer Sutliff of Burnt Hills, N.Y., Peter Bernard of Augusta, and Christopher Bernard of London, England; and eight grandchildren.
Ellen donated her body to the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, as Anthony had before her.
A memorial service for Ellen and Anthony will be held at Maine Audubon in Falmouth on at 5:30 p.m., Sat., April 12.
Donations in their memory may be made to Maine Audubon or to VNA Home Health Hospice, who took such good care of Ellen in her last days.
