Ellen Cacace Maxwell, a devoted educator; loving wife, mother, and grandmother; and beloved friend, passed away peacefully on October 13, 2025, at the age of 82 in Fairfield.

Born and raised in Bridgeport before her family moved to Fairfield, she attended St. Augustine Elementary School and Notre Dame High School. A lifelong learner with a passion for art history, Ellen first earned a B.A. in Art History from (then) Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York, and later a Master of Science in Education from Fordham University. She also attended the Katherine Gibbs School in New York City, which prepared her for early career work as an executive secretary, including a position at the Shell Corporation.

Ellen later held a long career in teaching with a special gift for reading instruction. She began teaching at St. Ignatius Loyola Elementary School in New York City before dedicating 18 years to the students of Blackham Elementary School in Bridgeport. In later years, it gave her great joy and delight to meet her former students as young adults and learn of their accomplishments and hear their stories of how her teaching had impacted their lives.

Ellen's devotion extended far beyond the classroom.  She was a dedicated and long-standing volunteer with the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County (JLEFC), and her participation lasted over decades. Her volunteer work included participating on the Admissions Committee, working on improvements at the Beardsley Zoo, and participating in work of the School Volunteer Association. In her later years, she was an active participant on the Sustainer Committee, hosting their annual spring and fall luncheons. Ellen made many close and meaningful friendships through her involvement with the JLEFC, as well as from being an active part of the larger local community, her time at Manhattanville, and living in New York City. She loved to spend time at the Brooklawn Country Club and was a familiar figure reading her favorite murder mysteries underneath the trees.

Ellen is survived by her devoted husband, Thomas F. Maxwell Jr.; her children, (Ellen) Sarah Ronnenberg and Thomas F. Maxwell III; her son-in-law, Francis James Ronnenberg; her daughter-in-law, Kathryn Thompson Maxwell; and her cherished grandchildren, Thomas F. Maxwell IV, Parker Bryan Maxwell, and Griffin Maxwell Ronnenberg.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 30, at 10:00a.m., meeting directly in Our Lady of the Assumption Church, 545 Stratfield Road, Fairfield, with a Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Friends may call Wednesday, October 29, from 4:00p.m. to 7:00p.m., in the Redgate – Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and 4 Gorham Place, Trumbull. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School Annual Harvest Fund, c/o Development Office, 33 Calhoun Place, Bridgeport, CT 06604. https://kolbecaths.org/donate/. To send online condolences please visit www.redgatehennessy.com

Kolbe Cathedral Preparatory School Annual Harvest Fund
c/o Development Office, 33 Calhoun Place, Bridgeport CT 06604
Web: https://kolbecaths.org/donate/