Ellen M. Dailey, 73, left her earthly body to be with Jesus, her Lord and savior on July 14, 2024, at 6:15 P.M., after a 4-month battle with cancer.
Our sister fought this battle the way she lived her life with dignity, courage and grace.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri to her mother Jeanne H. Cliffe who was grieving the passing of Ellen’s father, Thomas Daily, a Navy veteran who lost his battle to leukemia. Jeanne then married the man who raised Ellen, Norman J. Friedrich.
Ellen’s passion was fly fishing with her late husband. They fished all over the world, New Zealand, Canada, and Belize.
Ellen also loved her English garden and feeding the birds. Prior to living in Boonville, Ellen lived in Loveland, Colorado. Her heart was passionate about the “Jackson Hole, One Fly”. Our sister spent many years working on and fishing in this charitable event to raise money for conservation projects benefiting the native cutthroat trout and promoting catch and release allowing fish to thrive. Something the lady angler started years ago was an event that coincides with the “One Fly” called “Stripping for the Cure”. Ellen felt strongly about finding a cure and supporting Breast Cancer Awareness.
Ellen is survived by brothers, Martin and Stephen (Debbie) and sister Susan Wade; nephews Zach and Josh Wade, and Jesse Stalker (Katherine); nieces Kelly Friedrich – children Parker, Caiden, Ender and Holden; Tracey (Danny) – children Josh, Forrest and Erin Friedrich; many very close cousins, who offered so much love and support during this time who reside in St. Louis.
Ellen was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Denny Anderson; and her beloved black lab Bella.
Special thank you to Erika and Kayla with Compassus Hospice who helped us so much. At my sister’s request a private service will be in Jackson Hole in September with her final resting place at the South fork of Snake River.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at http://www.strippingforacure.com in memory of Ellen Dailey.
Susan says
Susan Wade and family,
My deepest sympathy on loss of Ellen. She sounded like a cool, compassionate caring lady. The photo of her she is stunningly beautiful and you can see her joy doing what she loved doing. She was very blessed to have you Sue and other family with her as she was passing.
Love and hugs,
Susan Spradley
Beth Teague says
Many prayers for you and your family, Sue. I’m so sorry for the loss of your dear sister.
Beth Boling says
I am so sorry for this tremendous loss to your family. Ellen was one of a kind, beautiful, bright, and loved you all so very much.
I know that she loved Colorado, fly fishing, Bella and spending close time with her siblings. This was obvious in the fact that she left her beloved Colorado to be close to her family.
I feel very blessed to have known Ellen and spend time with her as she came to Evansville to support Susan in the difficult time of the loss of dear sweet Louie.
Susan, Stephen, and Martin, she was always on your side and in your corner. I don’t imagine that she spent a day not thinking of you and being grateful for you. I’m so glad that you were with her, especially these last few months. She knew that she was loved and she was surrounded by love as she was ushered into Heaven.
May you all be comforted by your many wonderful memories of Ellen.
May God surround you and hold you up in the days ahead and remind you that Ellen is with Him and out of all pain and sickness. You will see her again. ♥️
Much Love,
Beth Boling
Sylvia Day says
So very sorry for the loss of this beautiful,caring lady.y prayers go with the family especially my friend Susan
Mike Peggy & Taylor Boese says
Beautiful words for a beautiful person! We loved her very much
patricia borst says
Susan, so sorry to hear of your sister’s passing.
Donna Trapp says
My deepest sympathy to Ellen’s Family. Ellen and I grew to be friends years ago in Frankfurt Germany, when we both worked for A&P Land Sales. We lost touch over the years, but found each other on Facebook and had resumed our friendship. Years ago, Ellen gave me a Stripping for the Cure bucket hat, which I have added to my collection and will treasure forever. Every time I don it, I will recall her fond missives about the One Fly and her devotion to that cause to make it a success. Wishing you all God’s blessings and peace in your time of sadness!
Barb Peterson says
Susan – I heard many wonderful things about you and her love for you and her family. She taught me how to fly fish and we went yearly until she moved to be close to you. I have missed her being in Loveland and our many coffee and lunch dates, not to mention our days together on the river. She is now with Denny and Bella and I bet they already have their fishing gear on and ready and Bella is watching the water. I will miss her deeply. Many hugs and prayers for all of you.
Barb P
Jack Dennis says
I will always have the fondest memories of Ellen and her husband Denny . They were an intricate part of the success of the Jackson hole one fly as board members and as supporters of the friendly competition. Ellen was an ambassador for women’s fly fishing and supported many efforts to include women in the world flyfishing. As a personal friend and confidant I enjoyed are many conversations to help my travels in the Rocky Mountains. She always visited me at the many Colorado speaking engagements that I had. She was very special as a confident and participant of our dear friendship with Carol and Pat Olgeby. She became an a special participant in the flyfishing community of Grand Junction Colorado along with Denny is a enjoyed their time in Colorado. Her organization of Danny’s spreading of the ashes in the South Fork and the float trips with his dear friends or something that I will never forget
Eric & Linda McMichael says
We will miss Ellen so much. So much fun talking with her about her great fishing stories and her life. Her warm smile and big heart will be greatly missed.
Susan Dymond says
It grieves my heart to hear of Ellen’s death. She has been such an energy in so many lives. Her gifts to me are immeasurable.
I first met Ellen at the first meeting of She Fishes! In New Mexico on my birthday in 1989. I was living in Lubbock, Texas at the time. She picked me up, sight unseen, at a hotel in Albuquerque to take me to that meeting on a lake in the mountains. Very simply, over the coming years, she taught me to fly fish. So many wonderful memories.
Ellen worked tirelessly with She Fishes! She and my husband published the newsletter for years. She organized trips each summer. She is responsible for inspiring me to bring my mom along which started years of cherished mother/daughter trips to New Mexico, to bring my best friend along…we are still fishing together, and every time I have a strike, even two days ago when I was last on the water, I hear Ellen beside me saying ‘’Set! Set! Set!” And of course there was always that Snickers bar at the end of the fishing day.
Ellen started me on my path by example. Not only the fishing, but also her volunteer work with She Fishes!, The One Fly! and Strippingforacure. As a result of her example, excellent mentoring, and lots of consultation and networking, she led me to my most satisfying volunteer work with Casting for Recovery over the past 15 years.
We enjoyed lovely times visiting her and Denny in Albuquerque before they moved north and we moved south. We ultimately moved to New Mexico 15 years ago. I can probably give Ellen credit for that too. If she had not inspired me so, fly fishing would not have become a criteria for retirement locations. We reconnected with her and with Bella in Loveland for memorable Thanksgivings. It was a joyful reunion and we were sad when she left the area, but knew how she deeply loved her family.
Ellen’s energy and spirit will live on in all of us who have been blessed to know her and in all the lives she has inspired us to touch as a result of her generosity. I cannot envision Ellen resting, but see her forever joyfully on the water with all those she loves.
With love to her family at this time of loss. May you find joy in your memories of such a remarkable woman.
Ward and Barbara Scott says
Dear Susan, Marty and family, Ward and I knew and loved Ellen very much. Our friendship began in Grand Junction and continued in Loveland. She was an amazing woman- kind, generous, caring, loving and like most of you we could go on and on.. we feel privileged to have been her friend.