Ellen Ruth (Kimball) Munson completed her journey on this Earth in the pre-dawn of Sunday, June 12. Ellen always liked to get an early start.

Born August 13, 1958, for her the number 13 was never unlucky.

Predeceased by her mother – Pauline A. (Gardiner) Kimball, father – Vernon H. Kimball, and brother – Dana P. Kimball, Ellen faced several medical challenges in her life, including kidney transplants in 1986 at MMC and in 2012 at Johns Hopkins Hospital. The challenges are not as important as how she faced them – with courage, determination, and perseverance. Even when her final challenge was ultimately insurmountable, she never wavered.

Ellen loved to travel, and was able to visit Bermuda, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. Closer to home, Ellen listed Key West, San Francisco, and Nashville among her favorite places.

A graduate of Cape Elizabeth High School and Westbrook College, Ellen was employed for many years as a legal secretary for Pierce, Atwood in Portland. She then enjoyed working as a medical receptionist for a small, two-physician office in Yarmouth where she particularly excelled in dealing with the elderly. When that office closed, Ellen became a medical transcriptionist working from home for several years. In semi-retirement, Ellen had a successful eBay store for over seven years where she sold women's clothing and accessories and big and tall men's leisure, sport, and work wear, all "sourced" from local thrift and consignment stores.

An avid dancer, Ellen started tap dancing at the age of 5 and later performed in numerous community theater productions with Portland Players and Lyric Music Theater in South Portland, where she was thrilled to be in a standout production of "Chorus Line." More recently, Ellen was Choreographer and ad hoc Assistant Director for several Reindeer Theater children's productions in Westbrook.

A member of Foreside Community Church, Ellen joined the "knitting circle" where she could both exercise and share her considerable skills with knitting and crocheting. As an animal lover, she had an affection for Spaniels, and was a member of English Springer Rescue of America (ESRA) and the New England English Springer Spaniel Rescue (NEESSR). She was a volunteer with the Mainely Pets Foundation and the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland Feline Foster program.

Ellen was always grateful for her close friends and immediate family and is survived by her incredibly fortunate husband of thirty years, Mark Munson of Gorham, stepdaughters Jennifer (Ellis and son Ethan) Bailey of Wareham, MA, Laurel Munson of Portland, ME, and pawter Sophie.

Visiting hours will be at the Foreside Community Church, 340 Foreside Road, Falmouth ME, on Friday June 24 from 4-7pm. A private internment service at Riverside Cemetery in Cape Elizabeth will be held later in the year.

Memorial Donations may be made to:
English Springer Rescue of America
1025 Rose Creek Drive, Suite 620-305
Woodstock, GA 30189

or

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland
217 Landing Road
Westbrook, ME 04092