After a protracted decline in her health, Dorothy Cotter MacMunn Ellis (Dot), died at home in Bedford, MA, on October 14, 2025. A resident of Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford since 2008, she was 93 at the time of her death.

In 1932, Dot was born in her family home in Boston, MA to Albert MacMunn and Ella Dorothy MacMunn, née Nordstrom. Her family moved to Westwood, MA when she was three years old. She graduated from Westwood High School in 1950 and went on to earn her BS in Biology (with a special interest in Botany) from Tufts University. She was the only one in her family to attend college and funded her education by working as a waitress. Soon after college, she married her childhood sweetheart, Theodore (Dick) Ellis. They lived in Albuquerque, NM while Dick served in the Air Force. She worked as a histology technician at the Lovelace Clinic at that time. In 1958, they chose the town of Bedford, MA in which to raise a family.

While raising her four children, Dot volunteered for many organizations, with a particular focus on peace, fair housing, civil rights, and education. The First Parish in Bedford became an important community for her. She served on many church committees, including as a trustee for several years. Dot taught her children the value of political engagement, making canvassing for political candidates a family affair. She also participated in multiple peace marches in Washington DC during the later years of the Vietnam War.

As her children became more independent, she took on several salaried work positions, including working as a special education reading tutor at Hanscom Air Force Base, and as support staff for Boston University's Biology department graduate admissions. Additionally, she worked in human resources at high-tech companies including Atex and Tegra. She also worked for a number of years at the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) headquarters on Beacon Hill in Boston where she assisted in the development of the 2nd edition of the lifespan sexuality education curricula, Our Whole Lives (OWL), which is still used today in both faith based and secular settings.

Dot prioritized family. Starting in 1968, and for the next 10+ years, the family spent two-weeks each summer camping at Ferry Beach Retreat and Conference Center, formerly affiliated with the UUA, where Dot continued to teach her children the value of social engagement and creativity. She also grew a vegetable garden every year, passing her joy of gardening to her children while teaching them about nature and plant care. She was known for her wit, humor and laughter, as well as numerous artistic endeavors, spectacular floral arrangements, fantastic and often inventive cooking, and for her event planning and hosting of many well-attended parties.

For many years, she enjoyed going on trips with friends on chartered schooners. She also greatly valued the long-lasting relationships she formed participating in the First Parish's initial pilgrimage to Hungary and Romania (Transylvania region) that established a strong partnership between Unitarian churches in the United States and Transylvania.

Prior to moving into her apartment at Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford in 2008, Dot lived in Newton, MA for 9 years. She became very involved with the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Newton (FUUSN ). One of her favorite experiences of this time was the "Enchanted April" trip she went on, exploring different parts of Europe while deepening her friendship with the 12 other FUUSN women with whom she travelled.

Dot was greatly loved by many and will be deeply missed.

Dot is survived by her children, Vernon Ellis and his wife Susan Stone of Newburyport, David Ellis and his wife Melissa Cruz of Marion, Glenn Ellis and his wife Patricia of Charlton and a daughter and her husband as well as her grandchildren, Grey, Jasper, Cotter and Cali Ellis. Dot was predeceased by her former husband: Dick Ellis, and 5 half siblings.

A memorial and celebration of life will be held on Monday, December 22, at 3:30 at the First Parish in Bedford, 75 The Great Road, Bedford, MA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the First Parish in Bedford Unitarian Universalist, 75 The Great Road, Bedford, MA 01730.