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Mary Van Atta Ellis died at 7:00 a.m., February 17, 2000 in the Cardiac Telemetry Unit of Presbyterian Hospital-downtown from complications of Aspirated Pneumonia and Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy. She was born in the Maytag Wing of the same hospital on April 14, 1936. Mary was the daughter of Helen Sisk Van Atta and Dr. John Roberts Van Atta who established New Mexico's first pathology and radiology laboratory. After her father's death, she jointly with her sister, Merle Amanda Redmond, endowed a scholarship for senior medical students at the University of New Mexico Medical School in memory of her father. Mary graduated from the University of New Mexico in 1958, where she was a member of Gamma Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, which was co-founded by her aunt, Myrl Hope Sisk. She taught at Hodgin Elementary School in Albuquerque for two years before entering Navy Officers Candidate School in Newport, RI. Following her commissioning as an ensign, she was assigned to the Western Sea Frontier Command on Treasure Island in San Francisco, CA, where she met her future husband, James Ellis. They were married on August 23, 1961 and reared three children, Mary Ellis Clark of Nashville, TN and Jane Van Atta Ellis and Robert Renshaw Ellis, both of Albuquerque. A Memorial service will be held at 1st Presbyterian Church, 215 Locust NE at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 18, 2000 with Dr. Paul Debenport and Rev. Myron White officiating. Strong-Thorne Mortuary, 1100 Coal Ave. SE, in charge of arrangements.
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