Ellen Marie Rissky
Eulogy
Ellen Marie Rissky was a woman like every other woman, and yet she played a unique role in the life of the Order, in the life of the church and in the life of the world.
Drawn to the service of all humanity, Ellen became a member of The Order: Ecumenical nearly four years ago. Her style of passionate persistence in any assigned task marked her as an unquestionable asset to her team and centrum. Ellen’s quiet example of service gave permission to others. She had a deep affection for children and played a special role in the lives of many of the emerging generation. She was the one to respond in obedience to the most mundane assignments, such as rising at 4AM to turn on the furnace. Equally, she gave herself completely to enabling the success of an entire team.
Her leadership and constant attention to detail. permitted winning such practical victories as the raising of more than $100,000 in donated goods and services for the Global Research Council in July 1982. Ellen was a solitary person, and yet one who found joy and significance in her friendship with colleagues. She was an avid reader in many areas and an interesting conversationalist. One would often find her door open and candles lit in invitation to those who might choose to join her in listening to jazz or discussing: poetry, theology or health care.
Deeply rooted in the church, Ellen demonstrated fully her leadership and willingness to be the servant on behalf of others. The church provided her with a meaningful identity: as the religious and sustained her life-long participation in what she described as “an unceasing conversation with God”. She chose to struggle creatively with her fate as a single woman through her unselfish resolve to expend her one life.
Ellen was a top flight professional in the health field. As an undergraduate she sought excellence in clinical psychology. As a graduate student she pursued an advanced course load at the same time she maintained a full time job in her very demanding field. As an administrator of the mental health center ward she demonstrated the capacity to remain calm and either firm or gentle as the case required, while simultaneously handling a multitude of complex demands, Her staff could always count on finding her available for consultation and support. Her care for the world was also made manifest in her care for the world of nature, her enjoyment of the out-of-doors and her devotion to a succession of pets. The exemplary detachment that allowed her to give up her dog and make herself available for an overseas assignment was, for her, a symbol of her decision to expend her life in service to the world.
Ellen was like any other human being in her quest to know the meaning of life; and yet she was a unique gift to history, Ellen Marie Rissky was a woman whose life was a demonstration of courage, creativity, compassion and constancy.
In the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost; Amen.
Obituary
We are gathered here to mark the sojourn through life of Ellen Marie Rissky. Ellen was sent by God to live in this world a part of the family of humankind, and now she has been removed by God from her station.
Ellen was born in Lyons, Illinois on April 9, 1941 and died on November 30, 1982 in Sevagram, India. She was the daughter of Mary Rissky of Frankfort, Illinois and the late George Rissky. She was the sister of Magdalene Nikodem of Mokena, Illinois; George Rissky and Phillip Rissky of Downers Grove, Illinois; Raymond Rissky of Lyons, Illinois, and Major James J. Rissky of Springfield, Missouri; all of whom survive her.
Ellen attended Washington and Costello Elementary Schools in Lyons and graduated from J. Sterling Morton High School in Cicero. She attended Morton College in Cicero, Illinois, and received an Associate of Arts diploma. She graduated from Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966. In 1970, she obtained a Master of Arts Degree from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, From 1977 to 1979 she was a doctoral candidate at The Illinois School of Professional Psychology and continued at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology until 1980.
Ellen’s youth was enriched by an interest and ability in music and she played the trumpet in many school and church events. She was baptized in the Berwyn Bible Church which she attended in her youth. Later she joined the Plymouth Brethren Church of Wheaton, Illinois,
From 1966 to 1967 Ellen served as a child care worker at the Elgin State Hospital in Elgin, Illinois, In 1968, she became a rehabilitation counselor at Lincoln State School in Lincoln, Illinois, From 1970 to 1971, she was a psychology intern at Peoria State Hospital in Peoria, Illinois. She served as a child psychologist at the Muskingum Mental Health Center in Zanesville, Ohio during 1971. In 1972 she became a clinical psychologist at the Garfield Park Mental Health Center. From 1974 to 1975 she served at the Henry Horner Child and Adolescent Center. Having spent ten years of her career caring for troubled and retarded children and adolescents, Ellen moved, in 1976, to the care of adult patients at the Chicago Read Mental Health Center where she served as senior clinician until 1981.
Ellen participated in several professional organizations including The American Psychological Association as an associate (voting) member. She held full membership in The American Association of Mental Deficiency, The Illinois Psychological Association and The British Psychological Association as a full member.
In April 1979, Ellen began a one year internship with the Order: Ecumenical Chicago House in Fifth City. While she was in Fifth City, in 1979, she participated in the Human Development Training School. From October to November 1981, she attended The 34th Global Academy at The International Training Center in Chicago. She remained there until September 1980 when she moved to the Chicago Nexus House.
In September 1982 she accepted an assignment to India and lived in Sevagram Village in the State of Maharashtra as a staff member of the village Human Development Training Institute. There she conducted training programs in effective methods of transforming rural villages, an important aspect of her work with the Institute of Cultural Affairs.
Ellen Marie Rissky, finally, was solitary. She lived her life in joyful obedience to God. Her life is now complete and will itself remain a part of the eternal love of God, being given back to the Mystery from which she came and to which she already belongs.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Images from the Last Two Weeks of Ellen Rissky’s Life
Reflections by Dianne Francis, Yeshiva Varma, Ronnie Seagren and others
The week before Divali (8-12 November) the House had a whitewashing workday on the community center, inside and outside. Ellen whitewashed the office, collegium room and worked a miracle with the children’s room. She was looking forward to cooking American food for the House Divali celebration on the 15th.
On Thursday, the 11th Dianne got very sick with what seemed like flu, with vomiting and fever. She recovered in 24 hours. The next day Ellen got sick; it seemed to be the same thing. She took tetracycline but could not keep it down. The House watched and waited for her to get better as with anyone who gets ill. However, on Saturday afternoon Dianne noticed blood in the diarrhea bucket; Ellen’s diarrhea had become quite frequent, sometimes three times hourly.
At 5:00 AM Sunday morning Don and Dianne took her to Kasturba Hospital in the jeep. She was admitted into the surgical ward because she still had some blood loss. The doctors main concern at that point was dehydration so they gave her six bottles of saline solution over the next two days. On Monday she was moved to the medical intensive care unit. The hospital is a teaching hospital for the medical school. All doctors are American-trained; and the hospital was built with USAID funds. (The medical school is the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences. Kasturba Hospital is considered to be a high quality hospital, and exceptional for a rural location.)
Tuesday she did not seem too weak or ill, although she was angry about the diarrhea not stopping. She was strong enough to sit up and talk. At that time she was eating curds and a couple spoons of soft rice. She was taking Flagyl and Dependol for the diarrhea.
Wednesday she asked for a village woman to come sit with her and make the electrolyte water for her to drink. People from the House spent four hours a day or so with her from Wednesday through Friday. Ellen was drinking juice and electrolyte water for rehydration, and sat up and talked with people who came to visit. Her sense of humor was good. She was too exhausted to read for more than a few minutes.
Saturday Dianne and others started staying with her around the clock because she was getting weaker. Septrin was added to her medicine and more stool and blood specimens were taken.
Sunday night she had a real low point and got upset that the nurses had not changed her sheets often enough. From then on we started changing them. Until this time she was still joking about the whole situation. When she was clean and ready for sleep, she was given a sleeping tablet and calmed down and slept. Saturday Don was in Bombay and investigated sending her to another hospital; but it seemed unwise to move her because she was weak.
Monday the Flagyl was changed to Neomycin, because the bacterial culture responded most strongly to that, and the Dependol was stopped.
Mrs. Takesande, from Sevagram village, started staying with her on Tuesday as well as Dianne. There was no blood in the stool by Wednesday; and she seemed to be responding well to the medication. She still had some diarrhea. Dianne wrote the London House to let the Gilberts know the situation. At that time Ellen’s symptoms were improving; and it seemed as though although her weakness would take longer to improve, that she was getting better.
Thursday the hospital asked us to help find a blood donor because they said she had anemia. Her blood type, O negative, is quite rare among Indians, only 2% have it. After difficulty locating O negative blood free of any medical complications, it was decided to give her a transfusion of one pint O positive blood Friday. She realized this meant that she could not conceive a child; but said she was fine with that at her age.
By Saturday her diarrhea had lessened to three stools a day. However, her state of being did not seem to be improving at the same time, and she was not gaining strength. The doctors were surprised at this, and said she had been lying down for too long and should sit up and eat more. It was suggested she might have about three more days in the hospital; and then she could be discharged. Medication continued. After a good conversation with Dianne, she slept well.
Sunday she started complaining about pain in her backside which was quite raw from the diarrhea. That night she cried some during the night. Just after 5:00 Monday morning she started breathing more heavily and got quite cold. The doctor said she had a heart arrest; but they were able to get her heart beating again. By 6:00 AM they put tubes in her nose for oxygen, draining her stomach, and suctioning fluids from her lungs (at first every ten minutes, then less often). They began to do dialysis of her peritoneal cavity, trying to rebalance the potassium levels.
The doctor advised us that her situation was extremely critical and that it was totally unexpected. They were doing all they could. We asked about bringing in other medicines or consultants, but it did not seem as if they could do more. The doctor said they were dealing with: (1) the high potassium level in the blood; (2) fluids in her system; and (3) keeping her blood pressure high enough. Her systolic blood pressure had been 114, went down to 70 just after the heart arrest, and then stabilized at 96. Vital signs were monitored, several EKGs were done, etc.
All day Monday we tried to call Bombay to get them to call Chicago and London. But telephone lines were down between Wardha and Jagpur. Dr. Jain told us that her chances of coming through were dismal. “No matter where in the world she was toxic, septicemia is extremely serious.” Monday night she was put in a shock position to help improve the blood circulation to her head. She was fairly sensitive to pain because of the poor lung functioning due to fluid and consequent diminished oxygen.
She was still conscious some of the time and in an alert semi-conscious state most of the time. She could respond to instructions (open your mouth, turn your head). Monday evening at 5:00 Ronnie arrived from Delhi and sat with her all the night with others. Monday morning she seemed to be in a state where she could comprehend whatever was happening around her, but could not respond. With difficulty she said, “Wait a minute” and “I want to tell you something” but could not speak further. Her arms and hands were massaged all night because she had indicated that felt good. She was still fighting and would clench her teeth when the pain got high. At other points she would listen to letters and look at the photos the Gilberts had sent, listen to reports of what was going on in Delhi or wherever. Whenever the doctors were going to give a shot or aspirate the water from her lungs, it would be explained first, which seemed to help a good deal. She also appreciated having her lips moistened and having her hair combed.
Her condition remained stable throughout the night. The next morning dialysis was done again as the potassium level was still high. Her EKGs were normal.
About two hours before she died, she said audibly, “It’s exciting.” Several people heard the comment. About 25 minutes before the end, she started to breathe heavily and fast. The song “Those who wait on the Lord” was sung to her and she calmed down. Other songs followed. When her. breathing slowed, the doctors came immediately and worked for half an hour to get her heart started again, but without success.
We were honored to share in her last days.