Ellen Guest

Ellen Murphy Guest, of Davenport, Iowa, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family on Monday, May 31, 2021.

A private memorial service will be held for family at a later date. Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Genesis Hospice or the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital Fund.

Ellen graduated from Assumption High School and attended Marycrest College.  Ellen moved to Dallas, Texas and was a legal assistant in corporate real estate law for twenty years.

Ellen and her late husband Walter, lived in Alabama and then moved to Florida (Navarre Beach and later Pensacola).  She was very involved as a volunteer with Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Pensacola for 11 years.  She received many awards for her long years of service and was very involved with the children’s fundraisers and other numerous activities.  The children loved her, and she had a special connection with many of the very ill children that she often saw, due to numerous monthly treatments they had to go through. Ellen loved being involved with all the children.  She worked 2-3 days a week, except when she and her husband were traveling for his electronic engineering business.  They moved back to Davenport to be closer to family and Ellen resumed her volunteer work, tutoring special needs students.

Ellen and her husband spent a great deal of time on their beloved motor yacht; their “condo on the water”.  They spent many weekends entertaining friends and going to the Gulf fishing or taking long rides in the Sound and the Gulf.  They also enjoyed the symphony and Broadway shows and golfing.  They traveled extensively in the U.S., Mainland China, Hong Kong and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  They especially loved New Orleans and Biloxi, Mississippi.

Ellen was a professional model for many years, doing tea room modeling at high-end restaurants, trunk shows at department stores and many benefits for several charities.

Ellen is survived by her sister: Mary Janet (Tom) Swanson, Blue Grass; niece, Rachel (Kurtis) Whalen and great-nephews, William and Thomas Whalen, all of Bettendorf; nephew, Andrew “Drew” (Brandy) Swanson and great-niece and nephew, Ellerie Ann and Aidan Jack “AJ”, Golden, Colorado; sister, Kathleen (Michael) Murphy Conrad, Silvis; and nephew, Cameron (Susie) Conrad, Columbia, Missouri; niece, Mellissa (Dustin) Ward and great-nieces, Sydney and Emersyn; and great-nephew, Blake.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Frances (Tobin) Murphy; husband, Walter; and brother, John.