of Fairfield Bay, AR

August 20, 1942 - December 12, 2020

Ellen (Thomas) Couch,78 of Fairfield Bay, AR, passed from this life on Saturday, December 12th, 2020, at her home with her family by her side. She was born on August 20th, 1942 in Jonesboro, AR, to Mr. James and Mrs. Sadie (Wade) Thomas. She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Sherry Couch, as well as her siblings, Otis Thomas, Leo Thomas, Wanda (Thomas) Beakley, and Anita Thomas. Ellen is survived by her son, Terry Hatcher, her, daughter, Rhonda Lands, her grandchildren, Cari Scott and husband Nelson Scott, Malory Hatcher, Jennifer Hatcher, her great-grand daughter, Melisa Treat, a special niece, Mary Brown, and cherished cousin Diann Dee (Thomas) Hale. She also has many other family and friends who will remember her fondly.

Ellen was employed by General Electric Corporation for 20 years. While working for General Electric she worked her way through college earning her Nursing Degree. She was very proud of her RN achievement. For 17 years, she was House Supervisor at Pinnacle Point Hospital in Little Rock, AR. She was the Director of Nursing for Charter by the Sea in Georgia. She was a Nursing Supervisor at Greenleaf Behavioral Health in Jonesboro, AR. She was a trailblazer in the field Mental Health and Substance Abuse treatment and programs that positively impacted countless families. It was so important to her she completed extra education to become a RNC (Registered Nurse Counselor). She was a treatment member of the 14th Judicial District Drug Task Force. She was the secretary of CADA (Community Action on Drug Abuse) and an Adult advisor of the DFYIT (Drug Free Youth in Town). She chartered and promoted the annual July 4th picnic, ''Independence from Drugs Day'' for those recovering from substance abuse and was on the board of the Women's Recovery Center. She was so loved and respected in the nursing field that a few nurses even traveled to Georgia from Arkansas to work for Ms. Ellen.

Her greatest love was family gatherings and spending quality and quantity time with her family whom she loved. She loved spending her time at the lake. Ellen couldn't swim, but she could definitely ski in her younger days. She was absolutely delighted in the lives of her precious Cari and Melisa. She was always thinking of others from asking what Melisa, her great granddaughter wanted for her birthday while in ICU post-surgery, to sending extra McDonalds coupons to family members kids, to traveling to Indiana for the birth of her 3rd cousin's child, to finding the perfect embroidered gift for a couples wedding she had just met. She enjoyed traveling to see new areas of the country, and if there was a nearby Casino, she would have to check it out. She was involved in many community functions and activities. She was enthusiastically active in politics and was proud of the Democratic process. Ellen loved her time spent with the Yacht Club of Fairfield Bay.

Rhonda, her daughter, can't remember a time when they spent more than a few days apart. Everyone that knows Ellen and Rhonda's relationship knows their love needs no statement. Terry, her son, remembers the love and laughs only a mother and son could share. He was given the opportunity to move closer to be in her presence every day for the past year and remembers watching Wheel of Fortune and CNN with Ellen daily.

Ellen was very close to her cousins, the Thomas sisters, Diann "Dee" Thomas Hale, Eileen Thomas Bolrigini, Sharon Thomas Messer, Pamela Thomas Scott, and Betty Carol Thomas Garrison. She enjoyed CRAZY fun annual gatherings with her cousins who she considered more like sisters. Dee loved Ellen so much that she moved all the way to Fairfield Bay to be close to her.

Memories:

Ellen wasn't Ellen to me, she was Memaw. My whole life she was my Memaw and she always will be. There aren't enough words in the world for me to express how much she meant to me, to tell all of the fun adventures we had, all of the laughs and inside jokes we shared, and all of the times one of us said ''shhh... don't tell anyone but''¦'' I will miss the gossip we would have when I would come over in the morning for coffee. She was so proud of her ''Great Grand'' Melisa. Melisa is about 50 percent of what we would talk about on those mornings. If you knew her, I am sure you heard lots of bragging about her precious Melisa Cheyenne. I don't think I ever saw her smile as big as she did when Melisa would walk in her door. She was always there for me in any way I needed her, and I will forever be grateful for her kindness. If I had known what was coming, I would have done things differently. I would have done all of the things people usually say like call more, and visit more often, but, I would have immediately went to the salon and got my hair dyed platinum blonde ;) I miss her every day and I know that won't change so I am choosing to remember the happy times. I will never know another person who cared about me the way she did, someone who would do anything to put a smile on my face, and I will definitely never know someone who will talk to me for 30 more minutes after we've already said goodbye 3 times and send me home with at least 3 random items and a newspaper clipping that I might want to read. I love you so much Memaw and I can't wait to share all the juicy gossip with you when we see each other again. ~ Cari Scott

My grandparents passed away when I was a little kid, I really don't have many memories of them. Ellen made me part of her family, she made me feel loved and wanted, she became my Memaw too. Memaw was always up for a good conversation, she was intelligent and engaging and I always enjoyed our talks. Conversations with Memaw will be greatly missed. She will be missed but never forgotten. ~ Nelson Scott

This is a great memory that I have. My brother Preston and Ellen were driving to Dallas together when my daughter Cari was born. He said ''I don't know what the baby will look like but she has the best looking grandmother I've ever seen'' ~ Randy Tate

Roller McNutt is honored to be entrusted with Ellen's arrangements. To sign her guestbook visit: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/clinton.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home
Highway 65 South
Clinton, AR  72031
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com