Greenhill Mourns Legend Sheryl Ellis

Greenhill mourns the passing of Legend Sheryl Ellis, who died on Saturday, February 5, after a five-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Ellis arrived at Greenhill as a Middle School English teacher and drama teacher in 1972, and immediately made an impact in both roles. Revered for her extraordinary ability to lift up students and celebrate the smallest glimpses of creative excellence, Ellis became a beloved teacher and mentor during her twenty-five years on the Hill. After a wildly successful Jan-mester drama class during her first year, Ellis and her friend and colleague, Lucinda Carter, floated the idea of staging an all-school musical in the spring… and two months later, without a budget or on-campus theater, the curtain lifted on Oliver! and Greenhill’s spring musical tradition was launched with a cast of Lower, Middle, and Upper School students and the dining hall converted to a theater. Such was the creative energy, the vision, the determination, and the persuasive powers of Sheryl Ellis. Later, Ellis coached gymnastics and taught dance on the Hill, with a number of her proteges going on to dance on Broadway.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, February 22, at 1:00 pm, at All Saints Catholic Church (Arapaho and Meadowcreek Drive)

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Lily Deen Runividge. She is survived by her husband John and daughters Meredith Ellis and Emily Ellis.

Greenhill sends its deepest condolences to the Ellis Family.

Photo credit: John Derryberry