Ellen B. (Overbaugh) Plaisted

Ellen B. Plaisted, 95, died at Kendal in Ithaca, New York on December 28, 2024, after a brief illness.  She was born in Albany, New York the daughter of Bernice and Roy Overbaugh.  She lived her early years in Delmar, New York where she and her sister, Audrey Overbaugh Garcia, attended Bethlehem Central School and the Delmar Dutch Reformed Church.  She entered the College of Home Economics at Cornell, graduating in 1951. It was at Cornell that she met Robert L. Plaisted on November 22,1947.  They married on February 10,1951.  During the next six years she would give birth to four children: Deborah, Kathy, Thomas (Susan), and Diane.  Raising a family was Ellen’s top priority.  Her next years were busy with piano and swimming lessons, 4-H Camp and organizing for the yearly cross- country trips to Bob’s annual potato meetings.  Ellen welcomed Bob’s graduate students into their home, where they were treated like family, too. Ellen was a devoted, loving wife to Bob throughout their almost 74 years of marriage

Numerous Ithaca area organizations benefited from Ellen’s organizational skills and leadership. She was the leader of the Ellis Hollow Homemakers 4-H club for 30 years teaching young girls sewing and cooking skills.  She volunteered as a teacher’s aide at DeWitt Junior High School for 11 years and was a member of the Human Ecology Alumni Association.  As a life- long member of the First Baptist Church of Ithaca she enjoyed taking care of the little ones in the nursery and helped organize church Pot-Luck Dinners.  She was an active member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, Chapter I for 50 years and served as President for 3 terms.

The focus of her later life was her 5 grandsons: Kevin (Liz), Ben (Nichole), Jeffrey (Ellen), Keith, Ryan and her 4 Great-Grandchildren: Cameron, Cole, Evelyn, Kate. She cherished time with her family.  Each summer she looked forward to her grandson’s visits to Ithaca. She loved planning adventures for the boys. Their fondest memories include some of the simplest activities such as shelling peas from the garden, Jell-O making, playing cards and taking drives around Ellis Hollow to see familiar sights that had been part of her family’s life for decades.

Ellen’s family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Kendal of Ithaca for their kindness, support and care.

A memorial service will be held this summer.