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Published on 11/16/1998 All articles from this issue

Thanks, and goodbye, to Ellen Shaw

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Editorial

We felt it appropriate for this Thanksgiving holiday to give a special thanks, albeit a posthumous one, to a woman who never once asked for it: Ellen Shaw.

Ellen died Nov. 14 after suffering a stroke the week prior. She was eulogized Nov. 17 at Christ Episcopal Church in Los Altos.

Adjectives like genuine, caring and helpful come to mind when describing Ellen. The Rev. Morgan Silbaugh noted Ellen's quiet passions were history and the environment. She took trips to satisfy the latter passion. For the former, she was active at the Los Altos History House Museum, and contributed a staple at the Town Crier that ran without a break for five or more years: Pages of the Past.

The column chronicled events in Los Altos from 25 and 50 years ago. Ellen faithfully culled them from the old Town Crier and the Los Altos News. Her contributions, done gratis, were consistently interesting and turned in like clockwork.

Ellen would personally deliver them every week, carefully typewritten. They were easy edits: Ellen was a strong copy editor who once worked for the Palo Alto Times.

We remember with fondness our weekly chats with Ellen. Now we want to tell her family and friends how much we appreciated Ellen as a contributor - and a person. She will be missed.