Obituary for Timothy D. Ellard
“All in all, it looks as if I am becoming more and more certain that my family provides me with my greatest personal satisfaction. Perhaps the old songs are right.”
- Timothy D. Ellard, 1976
Timothy Daniel Ellard passed away at home in Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, NJ on Monday, May 10, 2021. He is survived by his wife Pat Ellard, children Marcia Ann Chithelen, Daniel Joseph Ellard and his wife Penelope, and Michael Patrick Ellard and his husband Michael Ingrassia Jr., and grandchildren Anna Patricia, Natalie Suzann, and Niall Andrew Chithelen and Nina and Linda Ellard. He is also survived by his sister Mary Anna Meagher and a large extended family.
Tim was born on December 20, 1934 in Salem, Massachusetts. His father, Daniel Joseph Ellard, was a policeman who died when Tim was thirteen. Tim was raised by his mother Anna Ellard and his aunts Helen Ellard and Francis P. Byrne. Tim attended Salem High School and played trombone in the Salem Marching Band.
A pivotal event in Tim’s life occurred when his Aunt Francis introduced him to Samuel Henry Batchelder. Mr. Batchelder’s family had strong ties to Harvard University. He encouraged Tim to apply and attend, and Tim became a first-generation college student.
Tim started out paying his tuition by doing housekeeping for other students. He joined the Harvard University Band, won various academic awards, and eventually, as a graduate, became a class marshal, schools committee chair, and the president of the Harvard Club of New Jersey. Tim’s relationship with Harvard brought a lot of joy to his life. He was a dedicated alumni interviewer, hoping to find students who would thrive at Harvard just as he had.
After Harvard, Tim got his MBA from Wharton. While at Wharton, he met Mary Patricia Amend, the love of his life. They married in 1959 and had three children, Marcia, Daniel, and Michael.
After brief stints in the U.S. Army and Procter & Gamble, Tim joined Opinion Research Corporation in 1966. He remained with ORC in various roles for around 50 years. Tim has lived in the Princeton area since 1966, with a 10 year detour to California where he led ORC’s San Francisco office.
Tim remained an active musician throughout his life, playing trombone, bass trombone, guitar, and banjo. He was a part of the Princeton Folk Music Society, the Blawenberg Band, and the music program of Saint James Roman Catholic Mission in Rocky Hill, in what is now the parish of Saint Charles Borromeo.
In addition to his volunteer work for Harvard, Tim was the president of the Princeton Figure Skating Association, Treasurer of the Rockingham Association, and President of the New Jersey Council for Economic Education. In 1990, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce awarded Tim the Business Arts Advocate of the Year award for his pro bono work for the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and other local arts groups. After his retirement, Tim became a hospice volunteer for Princeton Hospital. After moving to Meadow Lakes, he coordinated a series of concerts and performances for the community there.
In his free time, Tim was a voracious reader, enjoying a wide variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. He also enjoyed golf and was a captivating story-teller.
Tim delighted in the company of his wife, children, and grand-children. Over the years their home was shared with Alaskan Malamutes, cats, a beloved beagle, and an occasional hamster.
Tim loved us all, and we all loved him back.
A memorial mass will be celebrated at 10:30am on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Hightstown, with a burial following at Rocky Hill Cemetery.
Should friends desire, contributions can be made to the Meadow Lakes Scholarship Fund.
- Timothy D. Ellard, 1976
Timothy Daniel Ellard passed away at home in Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, NJ on Monday, May 10, 2021. He is survived by his wife Pat Ellard, children Marcia Ann Chithelen, Daniel Joseph Ellard and his wife Penelope, and Michael Patrick Ellard and his husband Michael Ingrassia Jr., and grandchildren Anna Patricia, Natalie Suzann, and Niall Andrew Chithelen and Nina and Linda Ellard. He is also survived by his sister Mary Anna Meagher and a large extended family.
Tim was born on December 20, 1934 in Salem, Massachusetts. His father, Daniel Joseph Ellard, was a policeman who died when Tim was thirteen. Tim was raised by his mother Anna Ellard and his aunts Helen Ellard and Francis P. Byrne. Tim attended Salem High School and played trombone in the Salem Marching Band.
A pivotal event in Tim’s life occurred when his Aunt Francis introduced him to Samuel Henry Batchelder. Mr. Batchelder’s family had strong ties to Harvard University. He encouraged Tim to apply and attend, and Tim became a first-generation college student.
Tim started out paying his tuition by doing housekeeping for other students. He joined the Harvard University Band, won various academic awards, and eventually, as a graduate, became a class marshal, schools committee chair, and the president of the Harvard Club of New Jersey. Tim’s relationship with Harvard brought a lot of joy to his life. He was a dedicated alumni interviewer, hoping to find students who would thrive at Harvard just as he had.
After Harvard, Tim got his MBA from Wharton. While at Wharton, he met Mary Patricia Amend, the love of his life. They married in 1959 and had three children, Marcia, Daniel, and Michael.
After brief stints in the U.S. Army and Procter & Gamble, Tim joined Opinion Research Corporation in 1966. He remained with ORC in various roles for around 50 years. Tim has lived in the Princeton area since 1966, with a 10 year detour to California where he led ORC’s San Francisco office.
Tim remained an active musician throughout his life, playing trombone, bass trombone, guitar, and banjo. He was a part of the Princeton Folk Music Society, the Blawenberg Band, and the music program of Saint James Roman Catholic Mission in Rocky Hill, in what is now the parish of Saint Charles Borromeo.
In addition to his volunteer work for Harvard, Tim was the president of the Princeton Figure Skating Association, Treasurer of the Rockingham Association, and President of the New Jersey Council for Economic Education. In 1990, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce awarded Tim the Business Arts Advocate of the Year award for his pro bono work for the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and other local arts groups. After his retirement, Tim became a hospice volunteer for Princeton Hospital. After moving to Meadow Lakes, he coordinated a series of concerts and performances for the community there.
In his free time, Tim was a voracious reader, enjoying a wide variety of genres, both fiction and non-fiction. He also enjoyed golf and was a captivating story-teller.
Tim delighted in the company of his wife, children, and grand-children. Over the years their home was shared with Alaskan Malamutes, cats, a beloved beagle, and an occasional hamster.
Tim loved us all, and we all loved him back.
A memorial mass will be celebrated at 10:30am on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Hightstown, with a burial following at Rocky Hill Cemetery.
Should friends desire, contributions can be made to the Meadow Lakes Scholarship Fund.