Woodley, Mrs. EllaRose Editha Ottley, 83, of
Riverview, FL, quietly passed away in the loving arms
of her children after a brief illness at the LifePath
Hospice in Sun City Center, Florida, on October 30,
2007. EllaRose was born on September 7, 1924 in
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, United States Virgin
Islands (USVI), to Alphonse Ottley and Iris Johanna
Van Beverhoudt and was the eldest of three siblings.
Baptized into the Christian faith as a Lutheran, she
was an active member of Apostles Lutheran Church in
Brandon, FL.
EllaRose was educated in the public school system of
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI. She earned her
certification as an elementary school teacher on July
1, 1948 in St. Thomas. After migrating to New York
City in 1949, EllaRose became a Licensed Practical
Nurse in 1951; she began her union career as a Local
420 shop steward and served as chapter chair at
Bellevue Hospital, during her tenure, she was a
dynamic advocate for her fellow healthcare workers.
She left Bellevue in 1985 and went to DC 37, first as
a grievance representative then as a council
representative, rising through the ranks and
deservedly promoted to Assistant Director of DC 37 in
1993 until her retirement in 1995. In a
post-retirement interview for the DC 37 retiree
bulletin, she conveyed a message to those who missed
her, "Right now I'm concentrating on building up my
strength so I can get back to the battle lines. You
may even be surprised to see me at a rally." She was a
fighter to the end.
EllaRose was exceptionally vibrant, articulate,
well-educated, and gifted. Before the existence of
Home Depot, Lowes, and Martha Stewart; EllaRose was a
one woman home improvement marvel. She often called
herself a "jack of all trades, master of none." An
avid gardener, she most enjoyed cultivating and
nurturing many flower and vegetable gardens.
She leaves to mourn, her daughter, Ms. Chandra Linel
Woodley of New York City, her son, Mr. Allyson (Al) B.
Agard and his wife Doreen (Dee) of Riverview, FL, six
grandchildren, Duane, Michael, Darron, Jason, Shaun,
and Bryan, four great-grandchildren, JaVon, Elijah,
Jayden, and Sanaa, two surviving sisters, Mrs. Bernice
Quarterman of Chicago, IL and Mrs. Gene Hassel of
Abilene, TX, her brother Mr. Ecedro Bryan of Queens,
NY preceded her in death.
There will be a visitation on Monday, November 5, 2007
at Serenity Meadows Funeral Home from 6:00 p.m. to
8:00 p.m. A Celebration of EllaRose's Life will take
place on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at
the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made to Apostles Lutheran Church, 200 Kingsway Road,
Brandon, FL 33510. Dearest Mother, you will be sadly
missed, forever in our hearts.