Ellen Cavanaugh Scholarship for Healthcare Workers
Donation protected
Ellen Louise Cavanaugh's final breath came on August 7, 2020 at St. Joseph's Hospital surrounded by caregivers who had come to love her. Left without family, Ellen had been leading a quiet life alone. She eventually moved into Magnolia Manor in Midway before her illness took her to St. Joseph's Hospital and to the staff who would become the family of her heart in her final weeks.
We know little about Ellen. Her father was Girard Cavanaugh. Her mother was Margaret E. Kinney. She was born in Kenilworth, New Jersey, in 1944. Ellen spent her last years alone, depending on the kindness of strangers. She could have died alone as well - but she didn't. She could have been another unremembered life taken too soon - but she wasn't.
Despite the nurses overwhelming workload, they reached out to Fox & Weeks because they believed Ellen deserved more than the tragic fate of being buried in a nameless pauper's grave.
In truth, it was not just for Ellen; the nurses deserve a chance to say goodbye… not only to their friend but to so many other patients that they have endlessly sacrificed for.
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors will host a private service at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2020.
Officiating will be Father Joe Smith, Chaplain of St. Joseph’s Hospital. The service will be dedicated to Ellen's life and all the medical caregivers who have suffered alongside their patients during these challenging times.
Although the service will be private, it will be live streamed https://vimeo.com/463944682 for those wishing to witness and honor the work of the front line heroes who play a vital role in our community.
A grave was made available for Ellen in Savannah’s Catholic Cemetery. Her final resting place will be marked with her name and year of birth and death. In addition, Fox & Weeks has established the Ellen Cavanaugh Scholarship for Healthcare Workers to be awarded annually to Savannah residents pursuing a career in Healthcare. Contributions to the scholarship fund are encouraged at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellen-cavanaugh-memorial-and-scholarship-fund.
Orson Welles famously wrote, "We are born alone, we live alone, we die alone." Even though extensive measures were taken to locate Ellen’s loved ones, none were to be found. The caregivers adopted her and gave her a family that she had not had for so many years. Ellen's death reminds us that there are always caregivers who truly give of themselves and love deeply under challenging times.
As Welles continued, "It is only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone." That is what loving caregivers at Magnolia Manor in Midway and at St. Joseph's Hospital did for Ellen Cavanaugh during her last years and months. It is the same gift that so many front line workers give every day — to all their patients.
Fox & Weeks invites members of the community to visit the Hodgson Chapel at 7200 Hodgson Memorial Drive throughout this week and sign Ellen's memorial book in memory of a loved one taken too soon or a loss that still weighs heavily on your heart. The memorial book will be buried with Ellen so that she is never alone.
Rest in peace, Ellen. You were loved.
We know little about Ellen. Her father was Girard Cavanaugh. Her mother was Margaret E. Kinney. She was born in Kenilworth, New Jersey, in 1944. Ellen spent her last years alone, depending on the kindness of strangers. She could have died alone as well - but she didn't. She could have been another unremembered life taken too soon - but she wasn't.
Despite the nurses overwhelming workload, they reached out to Fox & Weeks because they believed Ellen deserved more than the tragic fate of being buried in a nameless pauper's grave.
In truth, it was not just for Ellen; the nurses deserve a chance to say goodbye… not only to their friend but to so many other patients that they have endlessly sacrificed for.
Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors will host a private service at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, 2020.
Officiating will be Father Joe Smith, Chaplain of St. Joseph’s Hospital. The service will be dedicated to Ellen's life and all the medical caregivers who have suffered alongside their patients during these challenging times.
Although the service will be private, it will be live streamed https://vimeo.com/463944682 for those wishing to witness and honor the work of the front line heroes who play a vital role in our community.
A grave was made available for Ellen in Savannah’s Catholic Cemetery. Her final resting place will be marked with her name and year of birth and death. In addition, Fox & Weeks has established the Ellen Cavanaugh Scholarship for Healthcare Workers to be awarded annually to Savannah residents pursuing a career in Healthcare. Contributions to the scholarship fund are encouraged at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ellen-cavanaugh-memorial-and-scholarship-fund.
Orson Welles famously wrote, "We are born alone, we live alone, we die alone." Even though extensive measures were taken to locate Ellen’s loved ones, none were to be found. The caregivers adopted her and gave her a family that she had not had for so many years. Ellen's death reminds us that there are always caregivers who truly give of themselves and love deeply under challenging times.
As Welles continued, "It is only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone." That is what loving caregivers at Magnolia Manor in Midway and at St. Joseph's Hospital did for Ellen Cavanaugh during her last years and months. It is the same gift that so many front line workers give every day — to all their patients.
Fox & Weeks invites members of the community to visit the Hodgson Chapel at 7200 Hodgson Memorial Drive throughout this week and sign Ellen's memorial book in memory of a loved one taken too soon or a loss that still weighs heavily on your heart. The memorial book will be buried with Ellen so that she is never alone.
Rest in peace, Ellen. You were loved.
Organizer
Pam Sullivan
Organizer
Savannah, GA
