Ellen J. Sherman passed away at the age of 73 on February 12, 2025, surrounded by loving family. This was just a week after sustaining very serious injuries from an innocent fall as she was about to do her absolute favorite activity of working out at the gym.
Ellen was widely known to be tiny, but oh so mighty! She is frequently described as a dynamo and spitfire. At the time of her passing, Ellen was still working as Volunteer Coordinator at Monarch Immigrant Services, fully engaged in her passion of helping seniors, immigrants and truly all in need. Ellen was a founding Board member and twice Board president at Monarch. The staff at Monarch wrote a tribute to her saying she was “lovingly referred to as an 85 lb. ball of coercion.” This of course explains her incredible success as a volunteer recruiter and fundraiser. Ellen had previously retired after many years at the St. Louis County Older Resident Program, utilizing her MA in Gerontology.
In addition to her work with immigrants and seniors, Ellen was a lover of all things related to arts and music, and she was to her core an avid bargain hunter (which she loved to share with others). She and Barry frequented music venues, foreign films, community festivals and the like. Ellen was the ultimate connector…it gave her such pleasure to connect people, events and resources.
She was the beloved wife of Barry Forman, dear mother of Lindy Woracheck, second mother of Hannah Fisher-Forman (Sam Ha), bubbe of Luca Forman-Ha, treasured sister of Roz Sherman Voellinger (Mark), and much loved aunt, cousin, stepsister, friend and helper to so very many. She was preceded in death by her parents Bobette and David Sherman, stepmother Edith Sherman and former husband/Lindy’s father Dennis Woracheck.
True to Ellen’s life of giving, she donated her body to Washington University School of Medicine. An Oneg Shabbat was held in her memory at Central Reform Congregation and a Celebration of Life will be on March 2, 2025, 1:00-4:00 pm at Brentwood Forest Clubhouse, 9000 Wrenwood Ln. 63144. Donations and/or volunteering are preferred to Monarch Immigrant Services (monarchstl.org) or a worthy cause of your choosing.
