Ellen (Watters) Sullivan

BATH – Ellen Watters Sullivan, 69, of Bath, formerly of Eastham, Mass., passed away suddenly of cardiac arrest on March 26, 2026.

Ellen was born in Atlanta, Ga., and grew up with a father who was a civil rights journalist and activist. She attended elementary school with Martin Luther King Jr.’s children and walked with her father in King’s funeral procession. These early experiences led to a lifelong commitment to civil rights activism and equality for all.

She moved to Massachusetts in her teens and attended Newton North High School. Ellen began studying cello at the age of 8 and played in local and statewide orchestras, including the Greater Boston Youth Symphony. After graduating from UMass Boston, she went on to study at New England Conservatory, the Boston Conservatory, and the Longy School of Music, focusing on cello performance, and spent years freelancing in Boston, Mass. and around the country.

Ellen later pivoted into a career in social work, becoming an empathic social worker for the Department of Social Services and later moving into private practice. She touched many lives in the communities where she worked: Newport, Vt.; Orleans, Mass.; and Bath.

A prolific writer, Ellen authored a memoir, “I Once Was Lost: How I Got Found”, about her life growing up in Georgia and discovering her ancestors’ dark past. After confronting her family’s history as slave owners, she connected with the descendants of those slaves, and they formed a task force committed to preserving the Zuber slave cemetery with the hope of creating a historical site.

Ellen was known for her big smile, intellectual curiosity, sharp wit, and goofy nature that put everyone at ease. She loved nature, especially trees, and led forest meditation retreats. A believer in Buddhist traditions, she studied at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University and was creating a whimsical peace charm business promoting mindfulness.

Ellen was the devoted wife of 25 years to Charlie Sullivan. She is survived by her husband; her stepchildren, Brennan Sullivan and his husband Harish Kandaswamy of Washington, D.C.; and Catherine Sullivan and RK McLean of Pasadena, Calif., and their children, Jamie, William, and Benjamin and her rambunctious Labradoodle, Bodhi.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Pat and Cecile (Rinehart) Watters; and her brother, Patrick Watters.

A celebration of her life is planned in Bath in June.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ellen’s name to the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra or the Friends of Reid State Park.