Blue Skies to our Beloved Member Ellie

Eloise “Ellie” Compardo

(1933-2020)

Ellie was born in Loup City, Nebraska on December 22, 1933. Ellie attended high school in Loup City and then went on to St. Francis to attend nursing school where she became an RN for many years.

From 1962 -1968 Ellie had three daughters and was passionate about them in every way. In 1976 she met and married the love of her life, Capt. James R. Compardo, and retired her career of nursing in the early ’80s to take care of her daughters and stepdaughter and help run the avocado grove she and Jim had generated.

In 1993, she and Jim started a whole new adventure in retirement. They moved to Incline Village, NV while building a home in Gardnerville, NV. Jim began building a Glassair II and Ellie decided she needed to become a pilot, too. She became a pilot at the age of 60 and joined the Ninety-Nines in 1995. She was an active member of the Reno High Sierra chapter and Jim was a supportive 49 ½. For many years Jim was our official photographer at our activities. They were both heavily involved in our chapter’s presence at the Reno Air Races each year and Ellie made the best cookies for us to enjoy while we worked! Ellie and Jim would fly to local destinations and have lunch with her 99 friends, a feat she embraced.

Ellie was well-traveled filling up passport after passport and has visited places all over the world including her favorite spots such as Africa, Machu Picchu, and Israel.

She passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on Mother’s Day night, May 10, 2020, at the age of 86. Ellie is survived by her married daughters, Leslie, Suzanne, Elizabeth, Julie, and her 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Ellie, you will be missed and we are so fortunate to have known you over the years.