We are sad to announce that Nora “Ellen” Gideon, age 89, passed away at home on November 2, 2022.
Born on May 7, 1933 in Rabun, Alabama, Nora was the daughter of the late Grady Cecil McLain Sr. and Sarah Evelyn McLain. She is also preceded in death by the father of her children Richard Fletcher Beech Sr., her second husband Richard Gideon, her daughter Deborah “Stephanie” Renfro (Phillip), and her brothers; Shelby McLain and Grady Cecil McLain Jr.
Ellen was the light of many lives and will be greatly missed. She had a passion for art that she carried through all areas of her life. Some knew her as theatrical or even melodramatic, but the truth was that her life was one of highs and lows that displayed itself in her character: her great loves and losses, great excitements and sorrows. She loved with all her heart, and that brightness of character shone through every time she entered a room. To be near Ellen was to see at all times the deep, bright color of her life. And though our lives will be a bit darker now that she’s gone, we will in time learn the greatest lessons of her life: that on the other side of even those darkest moments, life still waits with beauty to surprise you.
Ellen is survived by her son Ricky Beech (Kelly); her grandchildren; Kristen Taylor (Brian), Benjamin West (Adam), Morgan Vargas (Caleb), and Nicholas Beech; her great-grandchildren Elliot Taylor, Wyatt Taylor, and Cooper Taylor; as well as several nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
A memorial service will be held for Ellen in the coming weeks out of state in Alabama.
Parnick Jennings Funeral Home & Cremation Services is honored to serve the family of Nora “Ellen” Gideon. Please visit www.parnickjenningfuneral.com to share your memories or leave a condolence message.