Llamas. And more llamas. And horses, and dogs, and cats, and cows, and sheep, and goats, and chinchillas, and peacocks. Those were many of the things Ellen Dunn loved. But what she loved most of all was her family. She loved her girls with all her heart and made sacrifices to make sure they had the best lives possible.
Ellen Kathryn (Brady) Dunn was born in Philadelphia, Pa. on Nov. 19, 1940, to Raymond and Katharine Brady. As a child, Ellen’s natural curiosity fostered a lifelong love of animals. From finding crawfish in ditches in Texas, to rescuing snakes, possums and other wildlife in Michigan, California, and Delaware, it was inevitable she would live on farms her entire adult life.
Ellen graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in Wilmington in 1959 and went on to study microbiology at the University of Delaware. While there, she met David Dunn, whom she married in 1963. After they both graduated, to her delight, Ellen and Dave got a job managing Bayside Pony Farm in Berlin, Maryland. Her daughters grew up riding ponies and Ellen spent countless summer weekends ferrying them to horse shows.
Eventually, Bayside was sold so the Dunns moved to a chicken farm in Laurel. While raising chickens, Ellen began a career as a reference librarian at the Wicomico County Library, where she worked for 36 years until retiring in 2020. The job lasted longer than her marriage to Dave. The chicken farm became a llama farm after she met Howard Abbott, who was Ellen’s longtime companion until his death in 2001.
At one point, Diamond State Llama Farm had more than 50 llamas. Ellen loved walking her llamas in parades, driving them with a cart, and taking them to schools and senior centers to spread the gospel about llamas (she wanted everyone to know they only spit when they are upset or threatened!).
Ellen loved to travel and especially enjoyed taking cruises with friends and family. She relished snorkeling in the Caribbean and shopping at all the ports of call, with the islands of Tortola and St. Kitts among her favorite destinations.
Known for her sharp wit and sense of humor, she kept her friends and family laughing and turned the weekly Sunday family dinner into a hilarious event.
Ellen passed away on April 27 surrounded by her girls. She bravely fought cancer for a year and a half, enduring radiation and chemotherapy with remarkable strength and courage, inspiring everyone who knew her.
Ellen is survived by her daughters, Sharon Wile, Robbin Dunn, Terri Pardee (Chip), and her “shining star,” Susan Dunn; her cherished granddaughter, Abby Wile; her brother, Dr. Ray Brady (Marsha); many beloved cousins, nieces and a nephew; and a plethora of treasured pets. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Christy Dunn; her brother, Mike Brady; her sister-in-law, Darlene Brady; her niece, Tia Brady; her companion, Howard Abbott; and her parents, Raymond and Kay. Always giving to others, Ellen donated her body to science.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ellen’s memory to the Brandywine Valley SPCA and the Seaford Starfish Society- 32 Whistling Duck Dr., Bridgeville, DE 19933.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, May 16, at 11 a.m. at The Barn in Laurel, 31197 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Laurel, DE 19956.
Someone recently recalled Ellen’s elegance, simplicity, and kind smile – a reflection her family agrees with wholeheartedly. She is greatly missed.