Ellen Lynn Rathbun

PORTLAND – Ellen Lynn Rathbun passed away on July 3, 2024, after a defiant 10-month battle with pancreatic cancer, surrounded by her immediate family.

Born on Jan. 24, 1961, Ellen was raised in Granville, N.Y., on her beloved Hatch Hill, a bucolic family farm surrounded by farmlands and sugar hills. Even when she was deep in the throes of her illness, she managed to return home to spend time and find solace.

Ellen was the third of five children and was predeceased by her father, William Rathbun, her mother, Nancy O’Donnell; and her two older brothers, Mike and Mark Rathbun.

She is survived by her younger brothers Matthew and Richard Rathbun; her son, Christopher (Tophe) Thorne, and her daughter, Lillian (Plum) Thorne.

Ellen grew up in a rural environment near the New York/Vermont border and spoke fondly of her childhood, reminiscing about riding her horse, Velvet, to visit her best friend, Mary, on a neighboring farm. After high school, Ellen attended Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., where she met Dwight Thorne, her future husband, who was sitting in front of her in the bleachers at a Boston Red Sox game.

Ellen graduated from Endicott College and moved to Portland, to attend the University of Southern Maine (USM) School of Nursing. She and Dwight married on July 3, 1982, precisely 42 years before her passing. Following her graduation from USM, Ellen started a life-long career at Maine Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where she experienced the emotional highs and lows associated with the miracles and tragedies of caring for newborns and their families.

While working in the NICU, Ellen developed friendships that endured for the rest of her life. The sisterhood of the NICU nurses was always a source of love, guidance, and friendship for Ellen. She considered some dearest friends as “big sisters” and leaned on them for support throughout her life – especially during these past few months. She found immense joy in outings with her “girls,” whether that was enjoying margaritas together or going on biking treks in Vermont.

Ellen had many passions and was never shy about expressing her views or beliefs. Ellen was a lifelong member of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) and the Portland Food Co-op and was growing and buying organic food long before it became mainstream. She was a vocal advocate of all things natural – food, medicine, gardening, clothing, and lifestyle. In recent years, Ellen found solitude and tranquility while traveling in her camper van – aptly named Nobra – throughout the Northeast. She had hoped to trek across the country and visit national parks in her retirement.

Anyone who ever met Ellen knows that her greatest passion was being a mother. The pride and joy she experienced and shared regarding her beloved Tophe and Plum were boundless. She wore the title of “mother” with a profound sense of duty and commitment. Once she grasped the reality of raising adopted kids of color in this world, Ellen became a fierce anti-racist and worked to educate herself – and anyone who would listen – about the challenges and inequity facing her children and all marginalized communities.

In her final months, Ellen reflected on what her obituary would look like. She characterized her life as one of conflict and controversy, but always dedicated to leaving the world better than she found it. She fought hard for all her beliefs and influenced and motivated many, many people to always do the right thing and live presently. Ellen can now rest.

Ellen’s final months were made more comfortable by Dr. Wrona of New England Cancer Specialists, Angel McLellan of Moby Botanicals, and the wonderful people at Hospice of Southern Maine and the Gosnell House, especially Nurse Kelly, who supported Ellen’s determined efforts to sustain her active lifestyle and retain control to the very end.

A celebration of Ellen’s life will be held in late summer or early fall. Arrangements are under the direction of the Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Home of Portland. To view Ellen’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com

Ellen suggested that anyone wanting to honor her life and memory should contribute to

Presente! Maine, a Portland non-profit working to empower displaced Afro/Indigenous and Latinx peoples of Maine at http://www.presentemaine.org/give