THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
Daytona Beach, Florida
November 13, 2011


Ellen Margaret (Byford) Overby was born on May 2, 1909 in London, England. She passed from this life on October 23, 2011 at the dynamic and spirited age of 102 years, after a brief illness with congestive heart problems. Her favorite response to the often-asked question regarding her longevity was "Keep on moving, that's the secret"!

Ellen was a graduate of the Court Dressmakers' School in London, but she spent her early years after school working as a governess abroad and traveling and living in exotic places such as Algiers, Paris, and Switzerland. During World War II, she served as a motorcycle dispatch messenger in London and was awarded the King George VI Medal of Honor for her bravery.

In 1950, Mrs. Overby, then a widow, left Great Britain for the United States arriving in New York City on December 14, 1950 aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner. She and her daughter, Eve, resided in Brooklyn, NY. She worked as a dressmaker.

In 1956 she was remarried to Richard A. Overby and moved to Paulsboro, NJ. In 1963 they moved to Randolph, MA retiring to Palm Coast, FL in 1979 where they spent 26 happy years.

Palm Coast was the ideal setting for them both and for a period of time they were among the first settlers in their community. Ellen appointed herself the "Welcome Wagon Lady" and helped create a warm social atmosphere in their immediate neighborhood. She continued limited dressmaking and expanded her volunteering: the Cancer Society, the local Red Cross, Bunnell Hospital, the local nursing home, a reader at the elementary school and library, and sewing flags for the First Baptist Church of Palm Coast… to name just a few.

Ellen was never too busy to expand her creative side. She enjoyed painting and ceramics and loved to give her creations as gifts. In the mid-1990s, she took up poetry writing and had a number of poems published by the National Library of Poetry. She proudly became a naturalized United States citizen in 2002. She relocated to Washington, DC to live with her daughter and granddaughter, Leslie in 2005 after the death of her beloved husband, Richard.

Left to cherish her memory are Eve, her daughter; stepson, Frederick; grandchildren: Leslie, Lelia, Lisa, Rodney, Roxanne, Garry; nephews: Peter (Jenny), Kevin (Sue), John (Elma), and Sonny (Lois); son-in-law, Mike Richards; and a host of relatives and friends. She has left deep footprints on these sands and we were blessed with her longevity and by her love for life, humor and wisdom. Memorial services were held in Washington, DC on November 9, 2011.

A private inurnment service will take place in Palm Coast.