Ellie Quintia

In deep grief and infinite gratitude for an incredible life lived, we share the passing of Ellie Quintia, who left this world in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on August 1, 2026. She was born on March 13, 1950, to John Henry Ball and Mary Adah Miller in Ventura, California, beginning a life journey that would be marked by steadfast determination, fierce love, courage, bravery, and immeasurable strength.

Claiming Denver as her childhood home, Ellie’s spirit of adventure flourished amid Colorado’s natural beauty. The soaring landscapes of Telluride and the San Juan Range later became her sanctuary and the backdrop for many cherished memories. Many weekends were spent camping under the stars or exploring the wild tranquility around Alta Lakes with her husband and children.

Ellie’s life was one of caring for others, never more evident than in her vocation as an operating room nurse. Her unwavering patience and expertise brought calm and healing to countless patients in demanding and high-pressure moments. Her self-will and incredible determination shone brightest in the months and decades following a severe fall that changed her life forever. The complications that Ellie endured from her Chiari brain Malformation became a steep and daunting challenge—yet Ellie faced each day with determination, resilience, and a fierce commitment to those she loved. She continually placed her children, their spouses, and especially her precious grandchildren at the center of her world. She found comfort and companionship in her cherished poodle, Harry, who remained faithfully by her side.

Ellie’s loving family carries her memory forward: her children, Kelly Quintia and Kyle Quintia; Kyle’s wife, Erin; Kelly’s husband, Chris; and her beloved grandchildren, Zevi Wilder Keyes and Gryffin Sky Quintia. They remember her incredible sense of humor, self-possession, strong intuition, laughter, her advice given at just the right moment, her devotion to family, and how she cherished every holiday and homecoming. Though we mourn her loss, we honor her example–fierce bravery and courage, spiritual openness, dedication to caring, and most of all her absolute and infinite love for her family.

The family is deeply grateful for those who cared for Ellie in her last chapter, in particular, Stewart Anderson and Enchanted Sky Hospice. Surrounded by her family, Ellie was able to meet the end of her life with preparation, peace, autonomy and dignity; having navigated her health challenges bravely and self-determination.

Her absence will be felt by all who had the privilege to know her, but her light lives on in the stories, shared memories and deep wisdom she has left behind.