Obituary of Sarah E. (Hammond) Ellison

Sarah E. (Hammond) Ellison of Peabody, 93 years, wife of the late William McKinley Ellison died January 1, 2003 in Salem Hospital after an extended illness. Mrs. Ellison was born Jan. 24, 1909 in Peabody, daughter of the late Herbert A. and Mabel F. (Howard) Hammond and was a lifelong resident. She graduated from Peabody High School class of 1927 and then studied at the Chicago Hospital School of Nursing and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1932 from Beverly Hospital. She worked as a physician's assistant to the late Howard Charles Gale, M.D. of Beverly. She was employed for many years as an x-ray and laboratory technician at the former J. B. Thomas Hospital in Peabody and the Salem Medical Laboratory, a hematology technician at Lynn Hospital and was Laboratory Director at Hunt Memorial Hospital in Danvers. She retired in 1975. During her retirement years, she volunteered as a senior aid for the Peabody Council on Aging and served a term a secretary for the Peabody Golden Age Club. She was a member of the Park St. Church (Unitarian) in Peabody where she was a clergy assistant and a Sunday school director. After the closing of the Peabody church she attended the North Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Danvers. In her spare time she enjoyed sewing, quilting, Japanese bunka, needlepoint and other handicrafts. She was an avid gardener, enjoyed reading, playing the organ and had traveled to many places in the United States, Europe and China. Over the years she gave love and care to her many pets. Mrs. Ellison leaves a son and his wife Robert H. and Shirley Ellison of Peabody; a daughter and her husband Judith A. & Alan Riley of Reading; four grandchildren, David R. Ellison of San Francisco, CA, Donna M. Ellison-Duffy of Charlotte, NC, Todd A. Riley of Peabody and Elizabeth J. Riley-Medina of Albuquerque, NM; a sister-in-law, Elizabeth "Corey" Hammond of Bedford, MA; a nephew, Corey Hammond of Fayetteville, NY; 2 nieces, Martha Hammond-Scarborough of Tucson, AZ and Elizabeth Hammond-Callahan of Bedford, MA and several grand nieces and grand nephews. She was also the sister of the late George Hammond and Mildred Hammond. Her Memorial Service will be held Sunday, Jan. 5 at 3 p.m. in the North Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, 323 Locust St., Danvers. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The will be no visiting hours. Burial will be private. Donations in Sarah's name may be made to the charity of one's choice. For guestbook visit www.ccbfuneral.com