Ellen A. Beideck

Ellen Beideck

Born: July 26, 1956

Died: November 30, 2023

Married: Alan Beideck

Children: Alissa, Elena, Alexander

Ellen Beideck was a Saranac Lake resident and employee of the Saranac Lake Central School District. Her parents-in-law, Alton and Lucille Beideck, were interviewed by Historic Saranac Lake as part of the oral history project. The interview can be found here: [[1]].

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Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 19, 2023

Ellen A. Beideck

Ellen A. Beideck, 67, of Saranac Lake, passed away on Nov. 30, 2023, with her husband and three children by her side after several years’ battle with multiple system atrophy (MSA).

Ellen was born July 26, 1956, to Francis and Carol Precht Guppenberger in Batavia, New York. She graduated salutatorian from Notre Dame High School and received an associate degree from Genesee Community College. She was employed by Trojan Industries in Batavia and later by the Saranac Lake School District, retiring in 2015. She spent many years as a dedicated full-time caregiver for her children.

Ellen and Alan enjoyed 37 years of marriage, having wed on Oct. 18, 1986. They moved to Saranac Lake in 1992 where they continued their love of tennis and enjoyment of the outdoors with their family, cross-country skiing and skating in the winter and biking and boating in the summer. They have a home in Lake Clear full of many happy memories together with friends and family.

Ellen delighted in spending time with her friends and family. She took great pride in her children and grandson. She also took great joy in serving in a variety of volunteer activities including the Saranac Lake Free Library, Vacation Bible School, and Meals-on-Wheels among others. Ellen was an accomplished athlete in a variety of sports including tennis, softball, and bowling, and she enjoyed playing a variety of board games with family and friends, showing no mercy to anyone regardless of age.

Ellen moved to Boston in April of 2023 to receive the medical care her condition required and to be close to her daughters, their partners, and grandson, who were grateful for time spent together in her last several months. She made fast friends with many of the residents and staff members at Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle, livening the Rummikub table with her competitive spirit and rarely missing an activity, particularly those involving baked goods.

Her family and friends — new and old — valued Ellen’s feisty and competitive nature, her humor and wit, her loyalty, intelligence, and strength.

Ellen is survived by her husband Alan; daughters Alissa (Robby) and Elena, son Alexander, and grandson (Logan); sisters Terri Hunter (Donald), Susan Keidel, Mary Lovria (Robert), Linda English (Alan), and Lisa Hewitt (Dean); brothers Thomas Guppenberger (Cherie), Peter Guppenberger (Carin); sister-in-law Marian Roth; and numerous nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her brother Mark.

A memorial service will be held at the Adirondack Community Church in Lake Placid in the spring of 2024. Donations can be made in her memory to The Multiple System Atrophy Coalition on her memorial page to help spread awareness of this rare disease, to support education for healthcare providers, and to promote research for this and other neurodegenerative disorders: https://support.multiplesystematrophy.org/ellenbeideck.