Ellen Goldie Dougan Passed away peacefully on Friday, the 19th of December at her home in Port Alberni with family by her side. At the age of 49, Ellen is predeceased by her father, William Harold Dougan, and survived by her mother, Ada Dougan, her sisters, Kathleen, Patricia, Dixie, as well as many nieces and nephews. Ellen was very close to her family and friends, caring for them all greatly. Ellen was a kind and generous person who loved being involved in her community as well as being a part of the Restorative Justice Society in Ucluelet and running the PAWS Society on the West Coast for many years. Ellen also worked for the School District #70, Pacific Rim National Park, and The Place T.V. Ellen will be remembered always for her great sense of humour, her ambition, her generous spirit and the love that she had for animals. It is Ellen's wish to remind people to be gentle and kind to their animals and to keep them safe! By Ellen's request, no service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ellen's memory may be made to the BCSPCA, 4936 Broughton St., Port Alberni, B.C. V9Y 7L9. Condolences may be forwarded to the family at www.mem.com Chapel of Memories entrusted with arrangements .
I miss you dearly my friend.1959-2008
I wrote this last year in my other Blog.
We lost Ellen yesterday morning. I just found out, her Mom needed to process the news, and get home. I'm so damn sad, why is it always the people who try so hard and succeed at being good, lawfully and morally, who go so young?
I have a ton of good memories, some sad memories, but mostly, maybe it's the way I process things, slapstick memories. I laughed like a hyena most days I was with Ellen. She cracked me up, some of you may be thinking that's not so hard to do, she had the knack.
One memory I cherish is the time we rescued Newman (The Dullard) and 5 other kittens. Ellen lived in a neighborhood rife with wild cats, the old Lady two houses over had an unfixed male, and same with the house right next door. She was in cat heaven, for anyone else they'd complain and maybe poison them or trap them. Ellen named them, fed them, gave them medicine and was a one Woman show for having them caught and fixed.
We were having coffee one June afternoon, we could hear pitiful mewing, Ellen was pacing and she says to me "There's new kittens two doors over, let's go get them." I told her "You slipped a cog Girlfriend, they're in the Old Lady's basement." "The door is open, they need help." she told me. "They're infected and dirty and I ain't touching the bloody things!" I was firm.
Two minutes later there we are,(did I mention Ellen was very persuasive?) in yellow kitchen gloves, shorts and sandals. Ellen yells out "Go." and we're off, jump the first fence, no mean feat for me, scurry across the yard, leap the ditch, jump the next fence, by now we're laughing like maniacs, into the basement, start grabbing kittens and stuffing them in our pockets. "Go!!" she screams again and we're off. We're laughing so hard by now and one kitten is caught in Ellen's cleavage. We barely make it over the fences, then up her stairs to the deck. We're bent over laughing so hard that I couldn't exhale. We see the Old Lady come out on her back porch, Ellens gasping and trying to say ssshhh while the one cat is crawling out her top. Then the Old Lady says "Is there anybody there?" I, to this day have never laughed so hard in my life. Cats everywhere, the damn gloves, Ellen's skinny legs. I was gone for a good 10 minutes.
When I got the call this afternoon, Jackie, Johnny and their 6 year old son Jack were visiting. I went into the bedroom to better hear the call, Jackie came with me and held my hand, she got up to go into the livingroom, little Jack came in and crawled on my lap and gave me the biggest hug. What a sweet boy.
I'm bereft. I need to go process.
R.I.P My dear friend.
1959-2008.
And this:
All things Winnie the Pooh
I was just scrolling through the sat guide and I noticed that CBC is having the Winnie the Pooh Christmas special tonight. Well I've been bawling for the last 20 minutes. Ellen, God keep her, was the ultimate Pooh fan. Over the years she was so easy to shop for. Anything and everything Winnie she had. Her bathroom was a shrine. Towels, figurines, bath mats, wall hangings, soap dishes, glasses, toothbrush holder, decals in the tub, you get the picture. I bought her a clear plastic pooh handbag for a quarter at a garage sale we were at. You'd have thought I gifted her with a Faberge egg. She was so damn happy.
I just went to my cupboard and got her Pooh mug out. Thing was dusty, breaks my heart. She had a bunny mug for me at her place, and I had the Pooh mug for her here. She bought me so much bunny paraphanalia over the years, "It's not too expensive if it fits the collection." she'd say.
I remember a couple years ago, Pat was in town, I hadn't seen her for a few months it was July around Ellen's birthday so we decided to have a combined birthday party. Ellen was at work so Pat and I went to Canadian Tire and bought her an hibachi for her deck. We bought coals and fire starter, we went to Safeway and bought potato salad, garlic bread and ribs. We were gonna feast. After two hours, being the rocket doctors that we are we finally put the damn BBQ together. We were kind of tipsy by then. We started the coals and went inside to get the meat ready. I'm a great marinator/spicer, but Ellen only had salt and pepper, some ketchup and a drop of mustard. hehe. Ellen didn't believe in spices, salt and pepper was good enough for the likes of her thankyou very much. After some trial I had the meat ready to go.
About a half hour later she came home. We're really tipsy at this point and both yell out SURPRISE!!! We bought you a BBQ! Totally deadpan she says "I know, the whole house is filled with smoke." Then she say's "The handles are on upside down." We laughed for a long time.
Another great day. The day after we went to the lake, Pat, Dave and Rob were camping. We took a couple beer and went to swim. Ellen wouldn't get in the water, she was adamant. "I'll get swimmers itch." "Oh you big baby!" We swam for an hour or so and went back to the campsite for supper. The next day Ellen calls, "Do you have swimmers itch?" "No" I replied. "Well I do!" She had it on her ankles and feet from wading. The rest of us were fine. Luck of the draw.
Ellen's last man was Martin, they were a striking couple, they both had waist length blond hair and were fun all rolled up in a tight package. After they parted ways the big joke was Ellen saying "I need a cowboy!" I'd reply, "Don't touch her, she might go off." After she bought her house she still *needed* a cowboy, but one that could fix the plumbing and the wiring, she'd be gentle, just use him 'til he did the work, then move on.
We'd party late and the next day Ellen would have her sure fire hangover cure. Luke warm (Campbells) cream of mushroom soup. Ugh. You have to remember that Ukee has no Rotten Ronnies.
I'm so going to miss her.
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