Ellen D. Heye, former teacher and beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother died peacefully on December 26, 2019, in Lincoln, Massachusetts, at the age of 89. Ellen was born on April 3, 1930 in West Haven, Connecticut. Her father, George Doms, was a career Army officer who ran away at the age of 16 to join the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. Ellen spent her childhood moving from Army base to base across the Eastern United States with her father, mother Martha, and siblings Gertude, Ruth and George (all now deceased). Her family's frequent need to re-locate helped Ellen foster a capacity to meet and get along with just about anyone in a very short period of time. Ellen was the first in her family to graduate from college when she completed her studies at Connecticut Teachers College (now Central Connecticut State College). Around that time in 1952 she met her future husband, Harold Heye, who was finishing his PhD in History at Yale University. Ellen and Harold got married in January 1953 and honeymooned in Cuba. After Harold completed his studies, the couple re-located to St Louis, Missouri, where Harold had grown up. Harold taught at Washington University, his alma mater, and during this time Ellen gave birth to sons Richard and Chris. In 1961, the family moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where Ellen lived for the next 55 years. Shortly after they settled into their cozy little house on Oakwood Drive, Harold and Ellen had two more children, Jennifer and Connie. In the 1960's and 70's Harold taught at American International College and then Western New England College, while Ellen devoted her time and energy to raising four very active children. Ellen went back to graduate school in the late 1970's, earning a Master's Degree in Education from UMass Amherst and a Master's Degree in History from Westfield State College. She began teaching social studies and history in the Enfield public school system, first at JFK Middle School and then at Enrico Fermi High School. At the high school she also led the school's Model United Nations program that competed regularly - and successfully - in Connecticut. Ellen was a very devoted teacher. She cared deeply about her students and saw education as not only the key to a better life, but also to happiness. She was a voracious reader of both fiction and non-fiction and took trips abroad to further her studies of Russian and European history. She would then apply what she learned to continuously improve the quality of her curriculum. In 1993, Ellen was selected as Enfield Connecticut Teacher of the Year, and was a finalist for Connecticut Teacher of the Year. The following year she retired, in part to spend more time with Harold, whose health was deteriorating. Harold died in December 1995. Ellen was a long-time member of First Church of Christ in Longmeadow and regularly attended services. She served as deacon, on the ministerial search committee, and was involved in managing the speaker's series that encompassed a wide range of religious and non-religious topics. During the course of her adult life, Ellen was active in numerous non-profit organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the Springfield Horticultural Society, Longmeadow Gardeners, and the Longmeadow Council on Aging. In the 1960s and 1970s she participated in peace and civil rights marches. Ellen was an avid gardener. She tended large, beautiful gardens that were filled with daylilies and many other annuals, perennials, and shrubs. Her annual summer garden party – timed to occur at the height of the daylily season - was an event not to be missed. Ellen's wonderful life will be cherished and remembered by her four children, Richard Heye of Sunnyvale CA, Chris Heye of Belmont, MA, Jennifer Heye of Sunnyvale CA, and Connie Heye of West Hartford, CT; her grandchildren Claudia (Heye) Mitchell, Isabelle Heye, Peter Heye, Austin Heye, Karina Heye-Smith, and Seth Heye-Smith; and her great grandchildren Kenny and Piper Mitchell. A Memorial Service for Ellen will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at First Church of Christ in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, located at 763 Longmeadow Street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Arrangements are under the care of Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord, MA.