Ellen Marie Arias

Ellen Marie Arias, born on July 30, 1948, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, peacefully departed this world on May 28, 2025, in Los Alamos. She leaves behind a rich tapestry of experiences and a legacy woven from her diverse career and heartfelt connections with friends and family.

Ellen graduated from Rio Grande High School in Albuquerque and the University of New Mexico. She then joined the federal Vista Program where she volunteered for a year in Panama City, FL with a community healthcare program for low-income families. Ellen continued her community involvement serving as the director of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program in Gallup, NM and then with a women’s health clinic in New Orleans.

Ellen was a world traveler, having roamed across the globe in her work as a travel agent (Westwind Travel) to various countries including Russia, China, and Spain, where she worked and studied at the University of Madrid. She also traveled throughout Europe and Africa where she visited her sister, Yvonne, who was teaching in Zambia. Her career and personal life were marked by a commitment to her community wherever she was.

Ellen was a supportive friend and a take-charge leader, qualities that were admired by everyone. Beginning in 2001, she worked as an assistant to Susan Tarman at Tarman Galleries in the Railyard until 2006, and then as gallery manager at the Ernesto Mayans Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe. Her love for animals led her to become a trusted pet caregiver until her passing, a role through which she made lasting friendships with families who relied on her dedicated care. Her friends often remarked on how Ellen would go out of her way to ensure those without holiday plans were looked after, exemplifying her generous spirit in caring for others.

Family values were paramount to Ellen as the youngest child in a family of seven. She shared a special bond with her sister, Yvonne Duer, and brother-in-law, David Duer in California, visiting many times for the holidays. Her extensive family includes many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews across the United States, and dear friends who will all cherish the memories they created together.

Ellen is preceded in death by her father, William Arias; mother, Yvonne Reynaud Arias; sister, Arlene Isler; and brothers Allen, William "Bill," and James Arias, as well as an infant brother, Herbert Arias. These family ties shaped Ellen's character and motivated her to lead a life marked by compassion and generosity.

Ellen Marie Arias will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched with her giving nature and leadership, leaving an enduring impact that will not soon fade.

She will be laid to rest in Santa Fe Memorial Gardens.

Contributions to Ellen's memory can be made to a favorite charity. A memorial gathering will be held in the future.