Miss Eloise C. Aurand

Eloise C. Aurand, 76, of Lancaster passed away on Sunday, December 2, 2018. Born in Harrisburg, she was the daughter of the late Orris and Edna W. Aurand of Dallas, PA. Ellie graduated from J.P. McCaskey High School in 1960. She earned a BA degree in journalism from Penn State University. She was a Sustaining Life Member of the PSU Alumni Association. A creative and entertaining writer, Ellie spent most of her professional life in communications. For several years she was part-time staff writer and copy editor for Lancaster’s evening newspaper, the New Era, where she wrote many Saturday “Teen of the Week” columns. She contributed feature items for “Today,” The Philadelphia Inquirer magazine . Ellie served as Director of Public Information at Elizabethtown College where she mentored students as a part-time English instructor and advisor to student publications and the campus radio station. After three years, she moved up Rt. 743 to become Publications Editor at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Ellie switched from higher education to high finance when she became a banker with Hamilton CoreStates and First Union Banks. She worked in marketing and community outreach in Lancaster and Berks counties. Her accomplishments included coordinating the Lancaster version of the CoreStates Bike Race and work on Celebrate Lancaster. She also chaired the Lancaster Chamber annual dinner. Professionally, Ellie was recognized as an Outstanding Young Woman by Women in Communications. She was a member of the Public Relations Advisory Committee, American Heart Association, Pennsylvania Affiliate; Group on Public Relations, Association of America Medical Colleges; and Public Relations Society, Hospital Association of Pennsylvania. Ellie retired from one of her great loves, the Fulton Theatre, where she was House Manager, working with staff and volunteers to ensure theatre guests enjoyed their Fulton experience . Ellie operated the Brick Tavern Country Antiques in her house in Florinel. Ellie’s interests lay in the arts, especially crafts, theater, and music. She was President of the Long’s Park Amphitheater Foundation Board of Directors, where she chaired the Music Committee and was Show Director of the Long’s Park Art and Craft Festival for five years. She was recognized with the New Era’s Red Rose Award in 1998 for leading one of the most prestigious fine art and craft events in the country. Ellie was a member of the Board of Directors of the Fulton Opera House Foundation. She volunteered for the Scholastic Art/Lancaster County Young Artist program and sang with the Lancaster Opera Workshop. A longtime resident of West Hempfield Township, Ellie served on her community’s Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board. In Lancaster City, she was a member of the Long's Park Commission for 34 years. Ellie was a talented painter, great cook, and world traveler. Trips to learn more about crafts took her everywhere from Guatemala to South Africa. Her homes featured a potpourri of antiques, paintings, and crafts. Ellie’s wide interests and work brought her a huge circle of friends who appreciated her creativity, curiosity, generosity, and dry sense of humor. She is survived by her cousin, Alyce Lowery and her family of Kingston. A memorial service will be held at The Groffs Family Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc, 528 W. Orange Street (corner of W. Orange & Pine Sts.) Lancaster, PA, on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. The family will receive friends at The Groffs from 1:00 p.m. until the time of service. Private family interment will be in Mount Rock Cemetery, Lewistown, PA. In lieu of flowers, her family requests gifts to honor Ellie’s memory be made to Breakout Performance, The Fulton Theatre Company, P.O. Box 165, Lancaster, PA 17608-1865.

Miss Eloise C. Aurand

May 31, 1942 - December 2, 2018