Ellen Marie Gallourakis (Warren), 82, of Venice, Florida passed away peacefully at home on December 8, 2021, after a courageous battle with neuroendocrine cancer.

Ellen will always be remembered for her boundless energy, positivity and sharp wit. She made friends everywhere she went. Her intelligence, leadership, perseverance, compassion and sense of humor are all traits that defined her but it was her love of family that was core to her being.

Ellen is predeceased by her beloved husband, John Constantinos Gallourakis, her parents, Martin Olin & Elmira Chloe (Fox) Warren, her brothers, William (Jesse), Timothy & Paul Warren, her sister, Tranis DeChristopher, and her granddaughter, Emily Gallourakis. Ellen is survived by her sons Jeffrey (Julie) Gallourakis and Jason (Edwin Beltran) Gallourakis, her grandson, Nathan (Taylor) Gallourakis, and her sister, Rebecca Sue Warren Muetzel, her dear sisters-in-law, cousins and many nieces and nephews.

Born in Spencer, West Virginia, Ellen’s parents moved to Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, when she was an infant. During her school years, Ellen was active in music and drama, taught Sunday School and played the organ at her church. She graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School. After marrying John, they moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she later started a career in health information management. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree (with honors) in Medical Record Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy, followed by a Master of Health Services Administration degree from Central Michigan University. Ellen held various leadership positions in hospitals in Michigan, until she and John returned to the Ohio Valley where she would ultimately retire as the Director of Health Information Management at Wheeling Hospital. Ellen was very active professionally and a respected leader in her field. She was elected President of her state professional association, sat on the boards of universities and colleges, taught at the college level, spoke at conferences and mentored many other professionals during her career.

Married for 58 years, Ellen and John were quite the couple, always up for an adventure and thought of themselves as a team. In 1974, they bought and restored an old farmhouse in Capac, Michigan, where Ellen also co-founded the town’s first historical society. In 1987, they would return to the Ohio Valley to be closer to both of their families. After Ellen’s retirement in 2004, they built their dream home in Canadian Lakes, Michigan, to be closer to their grandchildren before finally relocating, full-time to their second home in Venice, Florida, in 2017. Ellen and John traveled extensively throughout the United States, as well as to Canada, Mexico and Europe. Ellen also loved to collect primitive antiques, tend to her herb garden and volunteer at various non-profit organizations and her homeowners associations. Ellen was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Ellen loved her family above all else, proudly raising her two sons, welcoming their spouses into the family, cherishing her grandchildren, hosting gatherings for extended family and lovingly caring for John as he battled dementia in his final years. Upon being diagnosed with an incurable and aggressive form of cancer, Ellen sought first to comfort her family by assuring them that she had lived a rich, full and wonderful life – filled with love and many blessings and that she had no regrets. And, she added, who could ask for anything more? She lived her final days as she had her entire life -- with grace, dignity, courage and humor – and she so very much appreciated the outpouring of love and prayers from friends and family.

Ellen was so grateful for the expert medical care she received at Moffitt Cancer Center for her very rare form of neuroendocrine cancer. No treatment was left untried, they extended the duration and quality of her life, and it was her hope that the team at Moffitt would be able to apply what they learned from her case to help others in the future.

A private memorial service will be held by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate that memorial contributions be made to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation.