Ellen A Smith (Tagader)

ELLEN A. SMITH

April 24, 1953 – March 10, 2019

Ellen Smith passed away at Montrose Memorial Hospital on March 10, 2019.  She was 65.  Ellen was born in Worland, Wyoming to Jim and Pat (Medinus) Tagader.  The family briefly moved to Casper, then moved to Aurora, CO where Ellen went to elementary and junior high school, then to Fort Collins, CO where Ellen finished junior and senior high school.  She graduated from Western State College in Gunnison with a BA in History.  After graduation, she went to work for Security Life of Denver Insurance Company where she was a pension specialist and then a marketing consultant.  She met her husband, Mark, at the company in 1982 and they were married in 1984.  She left Security Life in 1985 to work for a software company as Vice President of Development.  She retired from the company in 1995.  Ellen and her husband moved to Montrose in 2008.

Ellen was a wonderful cook.  She loved music and would sing and dance at the drop of a hat.  She was an excellent skier, tennis player and golfer.  As a golfer she had 4 hole-in-ones, three in a four week period.  She loved to travel and had visited many continents and countries including Europe, Great Britain, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Africa and the Galapagos Islands.  Apart from sports and traveling, she had a passion for taking care of her dogs, Cody and Molly.  Particularly Cody.

Preceding Ellen in death are her parents Jim and Pat Tagader and her sister Jo Murphy.  Mourning her loss is her husband of 34 years Mark (M.A.) Smith of Montrose, her brother Frank Tagader of Denver and several nephews, nieces and other family members and friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Bryce Lokey, the staff of Brookdale Sunrise Creek Memory Care and Montrose Memorial Hospital for their care, compassion and taking Ellen into their hearts.  A memorial service will be held at Crippin Funeral Home, 802 E. Main, Montrose, CO on Saturday, March 23 at 2:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.