Ellen “Rusty” Belliveau
Ellen Marie (Kellar) Belliveau died on November 16, 2021 in Merrimack, NH at the age of 88. She lived and worked in Nashua for more than thirty years.
Known by her childhood nickname “Rusty” after her once red hair, Ellen was a proud Mom, faithful Catholic, and a friend to all. She was known for her love of family, caring friendship, and compassion for the world.
She was born to Delia Hynes on February 15, 1933 in Tewksbury, MA and raised by her aunt and uncle, Margaret (Higgins) and Michael Kellar, all Irish immigrants, in Waltham, MA.
Rusty never let her family forget St. Patrick’s Day. She traveled for ten days in Ireland for her sixtieth birthday. In Rahard, Athenry, County Galway, she was warmly greeted by her Uncle Paddy and his wife Ettie with a tray of Irish brown bread, tea, and whiskey. She visited the thatched roof cottage where her mother was born, and the Celtic cross headstone of her great-grandfather.
Rusty graduated from St. Charles High School in Waltham in 1951. She was voted prettiest girl and made many lifelong friends there, including Peg and Joe Norton.
Rusty married her high school sweetheart, Paul “Libby” Belliveau, on August 30, 1952. They raised six children together in Waltham, Marlborough, MA, and Nashua. As a Cub Scout den mother, loyal sports fan, and school volunteer, she was always there for her children. How she managed us all and retained her sanity remains a mystery.
Rusty was an active member of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Nashua. She led many committees and kept Father Kelly and his office organized.
She was so selfless in service to others that at large family gatherings it became a running teaser. Never wanting to inconvenience anyone to meet her own needs, her plaintive cry among the hungry masses was “I’m fine, I’ll just have a hot dog.”
Rusty sang with the Sweet Adelines and church choirs, enjoyed candlepin bowling, and relished her weekly bridge game with her dear friends Alice, Paula, and Ann. She loved her Red Sox and Patriots, especially when they won.
Ellen worked diligently as an office manager for several doctors in New Hampshire and Florida. Later in life, she earned her LPN certificate through Rivier College and volunteered many hours at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center in Nashua.
She lived for nearly a decade in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, FL, where she cared for her mother-in-law Betty and enjoyed the close company of her sister-in-law Jeannette. Finally chased out of Florida by the hurricanes, she returned to Nashua and her family roots in 2015.
Rusty was predeceased by her former husband Paul and one grandchild, Hannah. She is survived by her children, Michael and his wife Dianne of Old Town, ME, Paul and his wife Lisa of Hudson, Beth and her husband Kenneth Deschene of Epping, Joseph and his wife Robin of Groveland, FL, Andrew and his partner Joanna of Lebanon, OH, and Steven of Washington, DC; by daughters-in-law Peg and Michiyo, and thirteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, December 11 at the Immaculate Conception Church at 216 East Dunstable Road in Nashua. Donations in Rusty’s memory should be made to the COPD Foundation or the American Lung Association.
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.