Obituary of Ellen Cale

Ellen Topkis Cale Ellen Cale completed her beautiful life of 70 years surrounded by her loving family on December 22, 2018. She was the adoring mother of Amanda Hamilton (Tanner) and Eric (Andrea) and partner in life of husband Douglas. She treasured her role as Grammie to Charlotte. She is recently predeceased by her brother Raymond Topkis. She was the keystone of her home and the glue for her family. Ellen was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the younger child of Ethel and Perry Topkis. From her tight knit group of high school girl friends to the knitting groups, garden clubs and YaYa's, Ellen was always a bright light radiating love and care. She graduated from Simmons College in Boston where she met Douglas. She also achieved degrees from California State University in Northridge California and Wayne State University in Detroit with specializations in early childhood education and teaching. Ellen was a master teacher of children and a mentor of teachers, primarily amoung Troy, Michigan elementary schools. Children were her work of heart and amoung teachers she could have an impact without it even being realized. She transitioned from teacher to the district's PACE team serving gifted and talented students. From there she became the district-level leader of Cultures of Thinking in the classroom as a coach to teachers. Her contributions to early childhood learning continued after retirement through consulting services. Family and friends may celebrate her gregarious passion for life in the Spring within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. There will be a ceremony near the Cottonwood Trail with a spectacular vista of Ellen's favorite vacation destination. Ellen inspired us with her fun, kind, brave, positive, hopeful, classy and graceful love of life in the face of an unrelenting assault from a cancer for which there is no cure. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations in her honor to the American Brain Tumor Association: http://hope.abta.org/goto/ellencale. Please share a memory of Ellen by signing her guestbook.