Mary Ellin Price Bollinger, 81, died on February 18 of a massive stroke. She joins daughters, Kathy and Susan, who pre-deceased her. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Bob Bollinger; children Jim Bollinger and Karen Bollinger Taylor and son-in-law Robert Taylor; grandchildren Ryan and Kate Taylor; brother and sister-in-law Fred and Peg Price; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law Perk and Chet Miller.
Always proud of her New Jersey heritage, Mary Ellin grew up in north Jersey, spent summers on Greenwood Lake, graduated from Georgian Court College in Lakewood, NJ, and lived 16 years in Whippany, NJ, before moving to Ridgefield, CT in 1978. She and Bob became snowbirds in 2005 when they bought a condo in Naples, FL.
Home was her sanctuary where she made holidays special for family and friends – one Thanksgiving she organized a sit-down dinner for 40 neighborhood “orphans”. She welcomed her friends, Bob’s friends, and the kids’ friends, often providing novel taste treats plus challenging puzzles and games, some of her own invention. Some puzzles were designed especially for the beach in Ocean City, MD. In later years, grandchildren Ryan and Kate, and certainly grand-dog Sneaky, were favorite guests. Mary Ellin was Sneaky’s favorite when he heard her using the electric kitchen knife – a sure sign he was to be a beneficiary of her culinary skills.
Mary Ellin was a vast source of ideas for having fun. They included trailering across the country, organizing trips to gambling meccas after teaching novices the intricacies of blackjack; directing Church talent shows; initiating a “Fun Gifts for the Family” program when she was President of the local PTA; writing the script for a “mystery weekend” for a dozen of Bob’s relatives; Bermuda and Las Vegas for anniversary celebrations; dozens of cruises where she demonstrated to skeptical neighbors that cruising was cool; living 4 months in France; buying a winter home in Naples, FL; and by coincidence, visiting Germany, months before the Berlin Wall came down, and Israel, months before the Intifada of September, 2000. Soon after grandson Ryan was born, she and Bob joined the Disney Vacation Club so the family could enjoy Disney Cruises and travel to Disney World and other travel destinations. These trips will continue.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 at 10:15 AM at St. Mary's Church; 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery; East Hanover, NJ. Friends and family will be received on Monday, February 25, 2019 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home; 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Pl, Memphis, TN 38105.