Ellen Marie Koelker's Obituary
Ellen Koelker (née Ellen Marie O’Neill), daughter of Bernard Joseph and Ellen Maria O’Neill, was born in West Philadelphia Pa, in 1924. She was preceded in death by two of her three brothers, Bernard and Francis O’Neill and by her husband Raymond Koelker. She is survived by her brother Paul O’Neill of The Villages, Florida; three daughters, June Koelker, Mary Jane Nino, and Debbie Keating; four grandchildren Bryan Keating, Andrea Pascale, Roger Stattel and Randy Stattel; and four great grandchildren, Sebastian Cano, Cassandra Keating, Dominic Keating and Lilyana May Stattel.
Ellen attended Our Mother of Sorrows School and graduated from West Catholic Girls High School in 1942. She married Raymond Koelker in October 1943. They moved to Ohio where Ellen worked for Ohio Bell Telephone. While she and Ray raised their three daughters, Ellen earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1964 from the University of Delaware. She taught 6th grade at George Read Middle School in New Castle, Delaware. In 1972 Ellen received her Masters in Library Science from Drexel University and became the school librarian at George Read Middle School.
Upon retirement in the late 1980s, she and Ray moved to Rancho Bernardo Ca. They resided in the Las Flores neighborhood, above St. Michael’s Church. Ellen volunteered at St. Michael’s Church Library. After Ray’s death, Ellen lived in Escondido with her daughter Mary Jane and MJ’s family for fifteen years. She really enjoyed being a grandma to MJ’s sons. Ellen’s last five years were at Silvergate in Rancho Bernardo. Ellen was always reading a good novel and cuddling with family pets through the years.
Services will be held at St. Michael’s Church in Poway on August 29, 2025 with the gravesite services at Dearborn Memorial Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to The Raymond and Ellen O’Neill Koelker Scholarship ( c/o West Catholic Preparatory High School, 4501 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia Pa, 19139; please add “Koelker Scholarship” to the memo section of your check).
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