Ellen Barton

She had that spark. Ellen was one of those people who never met a stranger. In her mind, everyone was a potential friend. She loved opportunities to be sociable … especially at the local YMCA or community pool where she would often spend hours visiting with friends. Ellen simply loved people and she put the interests of others before those of herself. Always so giving, so eager to be a friend. Just a sweet, gentle soul.

Ellen left this world, peacefully and with dignity, on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. She had recently been fighting an illness and her quality of life was rapidly deteriorating. There is peace in knowing her suffering is now over and she is in a better place, although she is dearly missed.

She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on June 3, 1960, to John M. Lackey and Harriette K. Lackey.  She attended various high schools in Tennessee and North Carolina, graduated from Freedom High School in Morganton, NC, then graduated from UNC in Asheville, NC. In 1987, she married Steve Barton, the love of her life, in Martinsville, VA. They were married 34 years until her passing, and they shared a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth.

Ellen leaves behind her husband; Steve R. Barton of Clemmons, NC, and their daughter and husband; Sarah Barton Reynolds and Joseph G. Reynolds, of Raleigh, NC. She was also a grandmother to a new grandson, Henry Leaf. Although her time with Henry was brief, he absolutely filled her life with joy at a time when she needed it most. Her love for him was boundless.

Also surviving are her mother; Harriette Lackey, a brother; John C. (Chuck) Lackey, both of Greenville, SC, two nieces, and many beloved cousins and relatives from Ten Mile, TN, and beyond.  She was preceded in death by her father, John M. Lackey.

While we have lost Ellen’s unique spark, the rest of us can follow her example and rekindle our own version of it. In that way, she will live on through us.

A memorial service will be held 2:00 PM Thursday, January 27, 2022 at Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC. The family will receive friends at the church immediately following the service. Interment will be private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html, or Highland Presbyterian Church, 2380 Cloverdale Ave NW, Winston-Salem, NC 27103.

Online condolences may be shared at www.hayworth-miller.com.