Before the newlyweds joined the Peace Corps administrative staff in Korea, they adopted each other's children. "I think there are a lot of positive factors that happened in our merger," Maura said. "The moment we got on that plane [for Korea], nobody knew we were two different families." The shared experience of being strangers in a foreign culture strengthened the new O'Donnell family bonds. They left Korea in 1970 and remained with the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C. Kevin headed the agency for two years, while Ellen established protocol at home. "When my dad would travel all over the world visiting Peace Corps programs, the oldest kids were assigned responsibility for maintaining order at the table," son Michael said. "If we didn't have the responsibility, we'd be part of the problem. We had eight kids and often had other guests. Nobody could have seconds until my dad had his first bite. A lot of times, he'd still be serving dinner [when others had already cleaned their plates]."
Obituary for Ellen O'Donnell, wife of Peace Corps Director Kevin O'Donnell
Ellen O'Donnell, 81, served in Peace Corps, studied flower arrangements: A Life Story
Monday, January 21, 2008
Alana Baranick
Plain Dealer Reporter
Lakewood- Ellen O'Don nell captured the attention of young children by pointing out each element in her Japanese floral arrangements and making up stories about what the branches and flowers were doing and saying to each other.
The Lakewood great-grandmother, who died Dec. 13 at age 81, began studying ikebana flower arranging while she and her husband were serving with the Peace Corps in Korea in the late 1960s.
During those four years, Ellen also had her first bout with cancer - colon cancer that was surgically removed at a Seoul hospital. She fought later occurrences of the disease that showed up in different forms, with an incredibly positive attitude.
"We always felt she willed the cancer out of her body," daughter Maura said.
In the 1970s, breast cancer was diagnosed.
"When she had her first mastectomy, her attitude was, 'On me, it's gonna look good!' " said her husband, Kevin.
The daughter of a surgeon was born Marion Ellen Blydenburgh in Brooklyn, N.Y. She spent her early years in China, where her parents were medical missionaries. The family returned to the States in the early 1930s and settled in Delaware, Ohio, home of Ohio Wesleyan University.
Ellen was a student at Ohio Wesleyan during World War II, when she met Jim Patterson, who was studying there through a Navy program. His Navy comrade Kevin O'Donnell was in the wedding party when Ellen and Jim married in 1946.
While living in Indiana and Michigan, the Pattersons maintained close ties with O'Donnell and his wife, Peg, who lived in Greater Cleveland.
Ellen taught at an elementary school in Royal Oak, Mich., in the late 1950s and early 1960s - before Jim died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1964. In March 1965, Peg died of complications following the birth of her sixth child.
"Later on, when I was up in Detroit on business I took Ellen and [her two] kids out to dinner," Kevin said. "That started the sparks flying. When you know someone that long and you know how they're raising their kids and you know what their values are and what they feel about life, it was very easy for us to fall in love."
Before the newlyweds joined the Peace Corps administrative staff in Korea, they adopted each other's children.
"I think there are a lot of positive factors that happened in our merger," Maura said. "The moment we got on that plane [for Korea], nobody knew we were two different families."
The shared experience of being strangers in a foreign culture strengthened the new O'Donnell family bonds.
They left Korea in 1970 and remained with the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C.
Kevin headed the agency for two years, while Ellen established protocol at home.
"When my dad would travel all over the world visiting Peace Corps programs, the oldest kids were assigned responsibility for maintaining order at the table," son Michael said. "If we didn't have the responsibility, we'd be part of the problem. We had eight kids and often had other guests. Nobody could have seconds until my dad had his first bite. A lot of times, he'd still be serving dinner [when others had already cleaned their plates]."
Upon returning to Cleveland in 1972, Ellen resumed her study of ikebana and attended meetings of the local chapter of Ikebana International at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.
"Ikebana is a contemplative kind of flower arranging," said Ikebana member Lorna Mierke. "There's a certain spirit that surrounds the group. We're not quiet Zen people. We have such a glorious time together experiencing the beauty of nature."
After a stroke put Ellen in a wheelchair six years ago, she kept going to Ikebana sessions and inspiring her friends with her perseverance.
"She loved to come to the meetings," Mierke said. "A lot of smiles. A lot of laughter. She helped to make you feel good about yourself and that no problem could not be solved by simply doing what you do and being yourself."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:
abaranick@plaind.com, 216-999-4828
