Mary Ellen Ambrose was born in Rapid City, South Dakota. She was 12 years old and living in Long Beach, California when her mother died. Her sister Betty and husband Jim McCoy, along with their young sons Jeff and Steven, immediately and graciously accepted Mary Ellen into their home with open arms. Betty and Jim continued as her wise and caring sister and brother-in-law while also performing loving and devoted parenting chores for Mary Ellen.During her senior year of studies at Long Beach State University, Mary Ellen was introduced through a mutual friend to Bob Ambrose who was, at the time, serving his last year of active duty as an officer in the United States Navy. Within two weeks they were smitten with love and Bob asked her to the annual Navy Ball. When he arrived at the McCoy home to pick Mary Ellen up to go to the Ball, he was so amazed with their family that he asked Mary Ellen if they could just stay there for the evening instead. She reluctantly agreed but also understood the magic effect that the McCoy family had on a person. Shortly thereafter Bob and Mary Ellen were matched into what they always believed to be a "miracle of God marriage". From there they went to Boston where Bob received a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard University. They returned to Houston where his parents welcomed and loved Mary Ellen as though she were their daughter. During those many years, Bob's brother Phil and his family would often visit and express their admiration of Mary Ellen. Soon after having arrived in Houston, Mary Ellen met Mary McDaniel, the wife of one of Bob's best friends, Marion. Mary Ellen and Mary instantly became best friends and supportive of each other in raising each of their two sons. As Mary Ellen's sons entered their early school years and consistently gained academic achievement in response to her motivating skills, she went to work for a financial institution. There, she rose to the level of Vice President where she had to deal with the difficult task of managing "troubled assets" during the late 1980's "savings and loan crisis". Upon her retirement, she was then able to spend more of her time and attention to her family, friends and neighbors. Through the years she was often able to be with her sons and their families witnessing their many scholastic achievements and productive efforts and successes in the engineering and scientific fields. She also joined the "Kindred Spirits" quilting bee in Clear Lake and the "Neartown" bee in Houston where she met so many loving and caring friends through the years.

She is survived by her loving family: her husband Robert Alan Ambrose, her son Robert Owen Ambrose and wife Catherine and their two sons, her son David Alan Ambrose and his two daughters, her sister Betty and husband Jim McCoy and her brother Dean Zander.

The family would like to express its gratitude to all of the close friends and acquaintances who supported Mary Ellen throughout her illness with a special thanks to Mary McDaniel, Sandy Leffler and Ola Belle Ford who spent numerous hours running errands and comforting Mary Ellen. The family would also like to thank the Houston Hospice Clinic staff who so expertly comforted Mary Ellen. The family says to all of them "Keep up the good work".

A memorial service was held at St. Luke's Methodist Church Chapel in Houston.

From the Houston Chronicle, October 1 to October 2, 2009