Was the heart of her family
MELROSE — The world lost a beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother Eleanor Frances (Hissey) Forrest, a/k/a Mom by her children; Nana by her 13 grandchildren; and Nana Ellie by her 20 great grandchildren and 1 pre-deceased great grandchild.
Ellie was born in Baltimore, MD, one of two children of the late Adelle Elizabeth (Wright) Hissey and Walter Hissey on November 6, 1923. Ellie was raised in Baltimore, MD and graduated from Saint Martin’s High School. She is preceded in death by her beloved brother Joseph Michael Hissey and his late wife Dorothy.
Ellie met her soul mate Martin J. Forrest, Jr. of Melrose in Baltimore, MD during WWII and they were married on October 27, 1942 in Baltimore, MD prior to Martin’s deployment. Ellie raised her family in Melrose with her husband Martin. Ellie spent her late life career dedicated to the City of Melrose serving as an outreach worker for the Council on Aging. Working with the elderly Ellie always had a smile on her face looking to lend a hand wherever she could. Ellie was honored with the “Key to Melrose” upon her retirement.
Ellie was the heart of our homes and families. She raised five children: Martin J. “Skip,” Elizabeth “Betty Ann”, Michael “Mike”, David and Mary Ann in a happy and loving home to be independent and thoughtful adults. As the adoring grandmother to Martin (MJ) Forrest and wife Christina; Kerianne Verdonck and her late husband Todd; Tara McCormack and husband George; Sean Magnus and wife Iwona; Brendan Forrest; Patrick Forrest and wife Liz; Ryan Magnus and Clarissa; Adam Forrest and wife Lindsay; K. Baxter Charlton and wife Kaylan; David Forrest and husband Alex; Christopher F. Charlton and wife Cara; Meghan Britt and husband Andrew; and Timothy Forrest and Douglas. Nana Ellie simply cherished and adored her 20 great grandchildren.
Mom, Nana, Nanie Ellie was known for her love, advice, hearty laugh and sense of humor, stories, generosity and kind heart. Ellie was the “heart” of her family, “their rock”, their voice of reason and the life of every party. She had an effortless way of bringing people together, filling every room with warmth, laughter and a little bit of wisdom when it was needed most. Her favorite saying, “When God shuts the door he opens a window” always reminding her family to embrace life’s ups and downs with grace and gratitude. She never let one day go by without expressing how truly blessed we ALL are. Ellie’s legacy is one of true strength, compassion and kindness, values that her entire family will carry forward in her honor.
Ellie was the beloved wife of the late Martin J. Forrest, Jr. Loving mother of Martin J. Forrest, III (Skip) and his wife Judith of Topsfield; Elizabeth (Betty Ann) Magnus and husband John of Danvers; Michael (Mike) Forrest and his wife Janice of North Reading; David Forrest and his wife Ann of Melrose; and Mary Ann Charlton and husband Ken of Melrose.
Relatives and friends were invited to gather in honor of Ellie’s life during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose on Friday, February 28 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. before leaving in procession to Incarnation Parish, 429 Upham St., Melrose for her funeral Mass celebrated at 11 a.m. Interment was at Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions were made to CatholicTV Network, 34 Chestnut St., P.O. Box 9196, Watertown, MA 02471 or Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. For online tribute, please visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.