Ellen Johnson Massey

In Loving Memory of Ellen Johnson Massey

 

May 11, 1949 – June 17, 2025Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

 

Ellen Johnson Massey, 76, of Mount Pleasant, SC, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2025, surrounded by loving family at her bedside.  A devoted wife, mother, sister, and friend, Ellen will be remembered for her steady grace, quiet yet unwavering strength, and deep kindness and joy.

 

Born in Roanoke, Virginia, on May 11, 1949, Ellen was the daughter of Harry Graves Johnson Jr. and Nancy Snyder Johnson. She grew up as a young girl in the 1950s and 60s, in a loving and vibrant home, alongside her siblings, Bill and Ann Claire, and graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1967.  Ellen went on to attend Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 1971.  Her time at Mary Baldwin laid the foundation for a life guided by curiosity, independence, and friendship.

 

Ellen’s adult life began in Covington, Virginia, after marrying Peter Candler.  They shared life together and raised three sons into their teenage years, and Ellen became part of a tight-knit Alleghany Highlands community, maintaining a lifelong affection for the beauty of western Virginia. There she met dear friends with whom she held lifelong friendships and family relationships.

 

In August 1993, Ellen married Mike Massey, with whom she shared more than thirty joy-filled, loving years.  Mike and Ellen traveled the world together, and shared a love of the beach, fun, and adventure.  Their home, ultimately established in Mount Pleasant, SC, became a place of peace and hospitality for all who visited.  The music was always on and the laughter was frequent.  Mike was her love and constant companion, and in later years he supported her diligently through her illness as a faithful and devoted husband and friend.

 

Ellen gave her time generously, offering her gifts in service to friends in need and to the community.  Whether lending her skills to support charitable causes or friends, Ellen led by example—quietly, graciously, and with care and positivity.  

 

Ellen’s interests were as thoughtful as her personality.  She believed in the beauty of small things: the warmth of sun and the rhythm of the tide, the comfort of music and poetry, a well-written letter, a simple bouquet, or a perfectly intact sand dollar. She was endlessly curious and intuitive—a woman who listened with her whole presence and made others feel truly seen and heard.

 

Most of all, Ellen was devoted to her family. She was a loving wife and proud mother and step-mother. She cherished time with her boys and their spouses and children, with Michael, Jenny, and Jennifer, and found great joy in being with Bill and Ann, and Ann Claire and Joel, and an aunt to her nieces and nephew. Ellen was fortunate to have Jennifer live close by, and Jenn visited often and provided invaluable love and care.  

 

Ellen is preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Nancy Johnson, and by beloved members of the extended Johnson and Snyder families. She is survived by her husband, Mike Massey, sons David Candler (wife Ann, children Jane and Will), John Candler (wife Leslie, child Eliza), and Bill Candler (wife Kelly, children Jack, Kate, and Haley); step-son Michael Massey (wife Jenny); step-daughter Jennifer Massey; brother Bill Johnson (wife Ann, children Cameron and Claire); sister Ann Claire Johnson Shepherd (husband Joel, children Sarah and Mary Gin); and dear cousins, extended family, and many friends who are as close as family.

 

Ellen lived with grace and intention. Though her absence will be deeply felt, her memory will continue to shine through the lives she touched—with love, wisdom, and enduring gentleness.  

 

A memorial service celebrating Ellen’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations in her memory to East Cooper Meals On Wheels — a cause that Ellen quietly supported during her life in Mt. Pleasant.

 

The family would like to thank the compassionate caregivers who were with Ellen through thick and thin.  They have been a wonderful blessing during challenging times.

 

It is impossible to encapsulate in a brief obituary the meaning and richness that Ellen brought to the lives of those who loved her - she loved others so well that she became a lockstitch that brought others together in love.  It is a legacy that will live on in those whose lives she touched.

 

Ellen (Mom) - we love you always.  God bless and keep you, until we see you again.

 

 

“Why should I be out of your mind because I am out of your sight?  I am but waiting for you.  For an interval, somewhere very near just around the corner.  All is well.  Nothing is past; nothing is lost.  One brief moment and all will be as it was before – only better, infinitely happier and forever – we will all be one together with Christ.”

• Camelite Monastery

• Tallow, County Waterford, Ireland

• (From a file that Ellen kept for this time)