Ellie Waldman

Ellie (Elinor Janet) Waldman died unexpectedly on the evening of April 23, 2026. She is survived by her daughter Jessica (Russ), Jessica’s stepsons Jack and Max, her sister Roberta Bell, her nieces Carolyn, Jessica, Suzanne and their husbands and children, Jessica’s father, Peter Burton, and her chosen family, Elaine Doyle, Claire Burton-Doyle, the Bougie family, and some of Jessica’s longtime friends.

Ellie was born on May 19, 1945, in the Bronx, New York City, the second daughter of David and Miriam (née Gluck) Waldman. She attended the High School of Music & Art in NYC and then the State University of New York in Buffalo (BA), followed by Boston College (MA, Education).

Ellie was a lifelong progressive. In 1970, Ellie was so adamantly opposed to the Vietnam War and the political climate of her home country that she packed up her car and drove all the way to Vancouver, Canada with her dog, Onion, in tow. That same year she met Peter through the Vancouver Committee to Aid American War Objectors. In 1973, Ellie and Peter moved to Kitimat, BC and on December 22, 1974, Jessica was born.

While Ellie did a great many things over the course of her life, being Jessica’s mother was by far the most important to her. She was endlessly proud of Jessica and delighted in being her mother. Ellie embraced Jessica’s friends like her own and became Russ’s designated number one fan once he entered the picture.

In 1978, Ellie and Jessica moved to Vancouver and in 1983 they moved into the False Creek Co-op where Ellie lived for 43 years until her death. The co-op was her community, her park, and her home and she valued her friends and neighbours immensely.

Ellie taught high school in Boston and Kitimat before teaching at Kwantlen College, working nights so she could attend the University of British Columbia and earn her master’s degree in counselling psychology. From then on, she worked as a counsellor in the Surrey School District until her retirement in 2010.

Ellie was a joyful person with a beaming smile and a big laugh. She was curious, adventurous and had wide-ranging interests. Through much of her life, Ellie loved camping, hiking, canoeing, and cross-country skiing. She took annual road trips to visit her family in California and to the Southwest US and backpacked around the Middle East, Europe, India and Nepal in her 50s. She had a passion for art and colour – namely Georgia O’Keefe, Rothko, and Indigenous art and jewellery. Although she was not a particularly religious person, in recent years she had started attending courses at synagogue and found joy in connecting with this new community.

It was said of Ellie that while you could take the girl out of New York, you could never take New York out of the girl. Over the past several years Ellie had been thrilled to rekindle some of her old friendships from growing up. She was a fierce New Yorker in personality and her zest for life, and she is deeply missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of life will be held on June 20, 2026, and a Zoom option will be available for those who wish to take part from outside of Vancouver – details to come. Please share your memories and stories below or with Jessica directly at jkburtie@gmail.com. Please also reach out to Jessica if you would like information about the celebration of life.