Mary Ellen Beach Ela

Mary Ellen ""Mel"" Beach Ela, age 88, passed away on Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 at Oakwood Village East.             Mary Ellen was born on January 13, 1921 in Rock Island, Illinois the only child of Irene Worcester and Floyd Eugene Thompson.   Floyd was then the Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.   Mel moved to Chicago with her parents in 1929 where she attended Evanston Township High School.   She graduated from Northwestern University in 1942 where she was an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and elected to Phi Beta Kappa.   On September 12, 1942 Mel was united in marriage to P. Goff Beach, who at the time was an officer in the United States Navy and subsequently commanded a PT boat in the South Pacific.   In January, 1948 Mel and Goff moved to Madison where Goff served as an executive of Oscar Mayer Foods, eventually being promoted to CEO and Chairman of the Board.             Mel was a wonderful example of a person giving back to the community.   She was a civic leader in many charitable causes and service related organizations including American Red Cross, Meals on Wheels, United Way of Dane County, American Cancer Society, and the Attic Angels, serving as its president from 1968-1970.   In 1976 when the City of Madison sought to build a new downtown Civic Center, Mel became the co-chairperson of the Madison Civic Center Capital Fund Drive.   She was honored as a YWCA ""Women of Distinction"" in 1991 for her dedicated volunteer work in the community.                Besides her extensive commitment to community service throughout her life, Mel   was also an avid and adventurous traveler.   She enjoyed planning and taking numerous world wide trips with her family and friends.   She was a member of Maple Bluff Country Club enjoying tennis, bridge and many friendships.   Mel was also a gracious host, often entertaining friends and business associates of her husband, Goff, at their home.   Mel had many memorable visits to northern Wisconsin on Lake Tomahawk and always looked forward to warmer winters in Boca Grande, Florida.             Mel was a very loving wife, mother, and grandmother who took great pride in her children's and grandchildren's accomplishments.   She always made it a priority to attend their many activities.   Her devotion and love for her family was unwavering throughout her life.               Mel is survived by her four children, Robert (Marilyn) Beach of Winston-Salem, NC; Thomas (Martha) Beach, of Madison, WI; Nancy (David) Walsh of Madison, WI; and Sally (Bradford) Rumph of Wadmalaw Island, SC; twelve grandchildren, Laura (Brendan) Dugan, Lindsay and Ashley Beach, Abigail, Jennifer and Kelsey Beach, Michael, Katherine, Molly (Jeff Olsen) and John Walsh, William and Dylan Whitner and one great- grandchild Charles Olsen.   She was preceded in death by her first husband P. Goff Beach in 1982 and her second husband Robert Ela in 1995.   She will also be missed by Robert's children Thomas (Sue) Ela of Milwaukee, WI; and Kate (Thomas) McMahan of Madison, WI; as well as a special nephew Richard (Jill) Beach of New Buffalo, MI.             The family would like to thank the staff at Oakwood Village East who gave their compassionate care to her during the last years of her life and to the Hospice Staff for their care during the last days of her life.   Memorials may be made in memory of Mel to the Oakwood Foundation, Inc (Oakwood East) or the Overture Center for the Arts.   A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2009 from 5:30 pm until 8:30 pm at Maple Bluff Country Club, 500 Kensington Dr., Madison, WI.