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Ellen Caviston Obituary

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Ellen Caviston

Exeter, New Hampshire

August 20, 1926 - July 20, 2022

Ellen Caviston Obituary

Ellen was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland to Alexander Moody and Lizzie (Wylie) Moody. Known as “Nellie” to her family, she had three older sisters, Annie, Mary and Jane (Jean) and a younger brother William “Billy” James. Ellen spent her childhood in Ballymena where she attended the Episcopal School and enjoyed summer visits to Port Rush. The family lived in their hometown throughout WWII and emigrated to the United States in 1946 when Ellen was 20 years old. The Moody family put down roots in Knoxville Tennessee where Ellen worked as a ballroom dance instructor. After a few years Ellen met Harry Caviston of Washington, New Jersey, who was attending Maryville College. They were married on February 18, 1950. Harry, a marine reservist, was called up to serve in the Korean War where he was wounded and received the Purple Heart. Harry spent a couple of years at the VA hospital in the Bronx and Ellen moved to the Bronx with their infant son to be near him. After release from the hospital, Harry and Ellen moved their young family up to the north shore of Boston, Massachusetts, where they lived for the next thirty years. While raising her family, Ellen attended and graduated from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts and received an Masters Degree in guidance counselling from Salem State College. In 1984 Harry and Ellen moved to New Hampshire and lived in Hampton Falls and finally in Exeter. Ellen enjoyed working in tending her plants and loved animals. She had many pet cats, dogs, and parakeets over the years, as well as taking in the occasional injured wild bird. Her mail box was always filled with letters from every animal rescue charity imaginable. Ellen was the last survivor of her siblings and was predeceased by her husband. She is survived by her children, Kerry H. Caviston of Leominster, Massachusetts, Elizabeth C. Bassett, of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, and K. James Caviston of Manchester-By- The-Sea, Massachusetts. She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Ethan Caviston, Kristen Duggan, Penny Nelson, Annie Shepard Bassett, Caroline Shull, Haig Caviston, and, Cole Caviston; three great-grandsons, Blake Duggan, Lincoln Flotten, and Arthur Shull; and many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Ellen leaves behind her constant companion of the past three years, her beloved little cat, Mary. Donations in her memory may be made to any organization dedicated to the protection and welfare of animals.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Ellen Caviston.