My mom, Ellen Douglass, passed away Thanksgiving morning at the age of 88. Here's her eulogy: I'd like to share with you some memories about my mom to try to convey what made her special to me and others. But first I’ll tell you a little about her early life. Ellen Blanche Egleson was born in 1931 in the depths of the Great Depression, in the heart of Appalachia, and was the only child of her parents, who owned a small farm. She loved farm work and spending time on the farms of her nearby relatives. Her father played the fiddle and guitar at dances and her uncle was a trained musician who taught at the local college. Mom started piano lessons from her uncle at the age of four and continued until she married at age 17 and played the piano and organ until arthritis took away her ability to play. Chopin was her favorite. Her family sold the farm and moved to the Washington, D.C. area at the outset of World War II when her dad got a job at the torpedo factory in Alexandr