ELLEN MILLARD FRENCH McKAY
Ellen Millard French McKay of Washington, DC on November 25, 2015. She was predeceased by her husband of 49 years Ernest Alfred McKay in 1997. She is survived by her seven children – Donald, Beth, Jeanne, David, Richard, John and Stephen; and 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Ellen was born on January 1, 1924 in New York City, the last surviving child of Fred Fillmore French and Cordelia Williams French. She was predeceased by three older brothers Theodore, John and Fred, Jr. with whom she grew up in Pawling, NY and Manhattan.
As founder of the Fred F. French Company, Fred Sr. made important contributions to the Manhattan skyline, including the building that bears his name at 551 5th Ave. The Fred F. French Building was listed by the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. His company also constructed Tudor City and Knickerbocker Village.
Ellen graduated from New York University with a degree in English and was a voracious reader. When her children were young, she delighted in reading to them classics from authors such as Rudyard Kipling. She also enjoyed mystery novels.
She loved all animals, wild and domestic alike, and passed that love on to her children. In addition to the several domestic animals she introduced into the household, she patiently nursed back to health an untold number of uninvited squirrels that fell down the chimney.
Ellen was an active volunteer throughout much of her life. She was a member of the Colonial Dames, the Sulgrave Club and Georgetown Presbyterian Church.
Services private. Memorial contributions can be made to Meals on Wheels National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20016.
