Ellen Downey Reinhart Izard

Ellen Downey Reinhart Izard, 77, passed away on August 6, 2024 in Knoxville, TN following a bravely fought battle with recent health complications.

Born October 10, 1946, in Cumberland, MD, she was the middle daughter of the late James and Betty (Marquis) Reinhart. She was preceded in death by her infant brother, James Bernard Reinhart, Jr.

Ellen spent her childhood years in Cumberland with her two sisters, Judith R. Lantz and Jane R. Brannon, borrowing stacks of books from the local library, playing games with the Avirett kids, attending school dances, and waiting patiently for the summer evening ice cream truck visit. She graduated from Allegany High School in 1964 and spent her college years at Western Maryland (now McDaniel) College where she was a member of Sigma Sigma Tau sorority. She majored in English, which was no surprise to anyone given her lifelong love of all things words!

After meeting in college, Ellen married Frank Kidd in July 1967 and they welcomed their first daughter, Megan Ashleigh, in 1974. Two years later, their second daughter, Shannon Downey, arrived. The family soon relocated to Houston, Texas, and Ellen embraced her role as loving mom to her young daughters. After going through a divorce in 1982, Ellen reentered the workforce after an absence of almost ten years and dedicated herself to working incredibly hard as a single mother to provide for her girls. She succeeded with impressive determination and grace.

In 1987, Ellen, along with her daughters, two sedated cats, and a parakeet drove their wood-paneled Oldsmobile station wagon from Houston to Knoxville, Tennessee to live near her younger sister, Jane. She worked with a local temp agency and was placed as an administrative assistant at Fort Sanders Medical Center. Just a few years later, she was selected for the first class of Leadership Alliance and then became the first female vice president in the Fort Sanders health system. Her strong work ethic and sharp, creative mind led to many successes throughout her career; however, she would always point out that her greatest accomplishment was raising her beloved daughters well. After retiring from Fort Sanders, she became a personal trainer and a volunteer with local charities and the Mayo Clinic. She served as the president of the Newcomers Club in her Jacksonville, FL neighborhood, which suited her well as she deeply loved people and would often be found chatting up strangers in the TJ Maxx checkout line.

Ellen is survived by her husband of 29 years, Doug Izard, whom she would describe as the love of her life. Doug and Ellen met at a New Year’s Eve party in 1991 and were inseparable from that point on. They married at the Missionary Baptist Church in Cades Cove in May 1995. Their shared love of the outdoors led them on many adventures together, from Bar Harbor, Maine, to the blue waters of the Cayman, US and British Virgin Islands. Countless hours were spent cruising on their boat, Soul Asset III, hiking trails in the Great Smoky Mountains, and yelling answers at the television during their nightly Jeopardy viewing. Throughout their time together, they lived in Knoxville, TN, McLean, VA, and Jacksonville, FL – all of which hold significant memories and treasured friendships. In recent years, Ellen and Doug returned home to Tennessee, built a house on “the Ridge” in Walland, and found great community among their neighbors and at East Maryville Baptist Church. As her faith journey with Jesus became of utmost importance in her later years, Ellen chose to be baptized in the Atlantic Ocean in May 2022. She and Doug enjoyed being involved in church life together as members of EMBC.

Ellen held many titles in her life and one of her very favorites was “Nonnie” to her adored granddaughters, Delaney Downey and Mabry James Harmon. She never missed an opportunity to spoil them with special treats, including her famous smoothies, and took great joy in introducing them to the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel.

An ideal moment for Ellen would be sitting under her pink blanket with a good book or crossword puzzle, sipping hot lemon tea with her cat Hunter curled up next to her and her family nearby. A close second would be loudly cheering on her favorite Tennessee Vols to a win while wearing her #16 jersey. She had a rather morbid habit of reading obituaries (and forwarding the interesting ones to her daughters and sister), was a stickler for thank you notes, quick to celebrate the accomplishments of others, and absolutely loved to laugh. She brought immense joy and light into our world.

In addition to those previously mentioned, she is survived by her sons-in-law, Tim Harmon and Nick Webster; her stepson, Greg Izard (Corinne); step granddaughter, Maddie Izard; niece, Paige Houston; nephews, Gregory Caswell and Drew (Rachel) Brannon; and a host of cherished friends from all chapters of her life.

Ellen’s family and friends will gather to celebrate her remarkable life on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at East Maryville Baptist Church, 1150 Brown School Road, Maryville, TN 37804. Visitation begins at 10:00 AM with service to follow at 11:00 AM.

Memorial gifts in Ellen’s honor may be made to the East Maryville Baptist Benevolence Fund via mail at address above or online at: https://subsplash.com/u/east-maryville-baptist-c/give.