Ellen Cyr Obituary

Ellen Marie Cyr

January 6, 1961 -

February 3, 2025

Ellen Marie (Grant) Cyr passed away on February 3, 2025, after a fierce battle with brain cancer.

Ellen was a fighter her whole life, and nothing changed when she was diagnosed. She faced each day with a smile on her face and a positive attitude that she shared with everyone she met.

She was born on January 6, 1961, in Dallas, Texas, to Don and Rosie Grant. The Grant family later moved to Iowa, where Ellen met her husband, Mike Cyr, in art class at Ames High School. They married in the summer of 1980 and raised two daughters in Texas and Tennessee. Ellen loved being a mother more than anything, but also enjoyed staying busy with gardening, cooking, Junior League, and volunteering-especially with Meals on Wheels and Fun Fest.

After their time in Tennessee, Ellen and Mike moved to Houston, Texas, where she honed her BBQ skills and enjoyed her days in the pool. From there, they settled in Columbus, Ohio, where Ellen dove into gardening and took on more of a caretaker role while Mike and his brother Tim both battled cancer. Later, they moved to Oxford, Connecticut, where Ellen was overjoyed to be welcomed into the vibrant Oxford Greens community, whose members shared her zest for life. Most recently, the couple settled in Madison, Wisconsin. Though Ellen's health declined, she never let it keep her from making friends, spoiling her granddaughter, and having a little fun each day.

Ellen made friends everywhere she went-whether in the aisle of the supermarket, between clothing racks at Kohl's, or in line for a rollercoaster at Dollywood. She was quick with an (often inappropriate) joke, loved to laugh, and made everyone she met feel seen. She had a magnetic pull and kept those lucky enough to be in her orbit close.

Ellen is preceded in death by her parents, Don and Rosie Grant; her sister, Annie Greiter; her brother-in-law, Tim Cyr; and her sister-in-law, Maureen Grant. She leaves behind her husband, Mike Cyr; her daughters, Lisa Cyr-Burnett (Dustin Burnett) and Bridgette Cyr (Grace Saunders); and her beloved granddaughter, Quinn Marie Burnett.

A funeral Mass will be held at St. Dominic's Catholic Church on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, Ellen requested donations be made to the Don and Rosie Grant Academic Incentive Award at Iowa State University. Fund ID: 0566741