Catherine R. “Cathy” (Lyman) Ellis passed away peacefully on December 22, 2020, surrounded by her loving daughters. She was 74 years old.
Cathy was born in Malden to the late Rose M. (McCabe) Lyman and the late Richard F. Lyman and raised in Charlestown. A proud Townie, Cathy loved growing up in Charlestown, regaling her family over the years with stories of catholic school, “DotSoChar,” hanging out at “the oily,” and sneaking into hockey games back-in-the-day. Cathy met her beloved husband, the late Jim Ellis, at the Cape and after a whirlwind romance they married, beginning a 47-year journey together. That journey would take them from the big city to the “country” (also known as Milford, MA) where they raised their two girls, Susan R. Oblak of Bolton, MA, and Karen M. Ellis of Hudson, MA. In Milford, Cathy made lifelong friends with her wonderful neighbors. They cooked out, trick-or-treated (with their own treats), and survived the blizzard of ’78 as they went through life’s ups and downs together. She worked at Fallon Medical Center in Milford for many years as a receptionist.
Later, Cathy would welcome son-in-law, Tom Oblak, to the family followed by her beloved grandchildren James “Jake” and Kerry. After Jim passed away, Cathy moved back to the city for a while, but missed her grandchildren and chose to settle back in Marlborough, MA. From there she was able to attend all their games and events as their biggest fan. As a proud Nana, she told them after every game they were the best player on the court, ice, etc., because to her, they were the greatest no matter what.
Cathy was also a proud sister to her beloved big brother, Richard Lyman and sister-in-law Debbie of Charlestown, MA, and beloved big sister, Roseanne and brother-in-law Daniel Sheehan, of Charlestown, MA. One of her favorite pastimes was visiting Roseanne’s house for the Bunker Hill Day Parade and then touring the town with Rich. She is survived by her daughters, her siblings, her grandchildren, many wonderful nieces and nephews, and several lifelong friends.
Cathy was fun, quick-witted, and honest, so you never asked for her opinion unless you really wanted it. She was also quietly generous, kind, and thoughtful. She fought a courageous battle against a debilitating disease and had greater success than most in that fight. Her family is proud of her and will miss her dearly.
Due to COVID-19, services will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to her incredible care team, Kindred Hospice 130 Rumford Avenue #211, Auburndale, MA 02466.