"First Lady of Wellwood Avenue" Ellin Cromarty, 87, Passes Away

This article was contributed and written by Peter Cromarty.

Commonly referred to as "the first Lady of Lindenhurst’s Wellwood Avenue," Ellin Cromarty a local charity supporter, former 18-year volunteer dietician at Good Samaritan Hospital and former member of its Board of Directors, passed away Tuesday, May 28th, 2013, at Good Samaritan Hospital after a year-long illness, with her family at her side.

Cromarty was 87 years old.

Born Ellin Ann Hirsh in Lindenhurst, Long Island on January 25, 1926, she was the second daughter of Emily Ramsauer Hirsch and George Hirsch. The Ramsauers family was one of Lindenhurst’s original families and the Hirsch family was one of the primary organizers of the local Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church.

She was a graduate of the Lindenhurst High School class of 1942, and went on to graduate from the New York Institute of Technology, where she earned a degree in Dietary Science. She furthered her dietary career at Philadelphia’s prestigious Abington Memorial Hospital.

On Veteran’s Day 1945, she met Arthur Martin Cromarty, who had recently returned from the British Isles where he completed combat and administrative service with the U.S. Army Air Corp . Married in 1947, they had three children and were partners in life for 67 years.

A Boy and Girl Scout leader, she went on to become an active member of the Salvation Army, The Lindenhurst Historical Society, and The Lindenhurst Beautification Organization. Later, she had an 18 year career as a volunteer dietician at Good Samaritan Hospital and then became one of its Board of Directors. 

Her lifelong love of ice skating brought her together with a former partner of the Olympic and Hollywood skating star Sonja Henie and she seriously learned to skate. She juggled her mother duties and became a competitive ice dancer. 

Along with her husband Arthur Cromarty, she was a constant mainstay on his many campaign trails as he was appointed the Village of Lindenhurst Attorney, and later elected Babylon Town Councilman, Babylon Town Supervisor, Chairman of the Board of Suffolk County Supervisors, Suffolk County’s Republican County Leader, Vice Chairman of the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State’s longest residing Administrative Judge for all the courts of Suffolk County. 

From holding court with well-known personalities to chatting with local staffers, she had an innate gift of making people feel comfortable. She loved life to the fullest and was beloved by everyone who knew her. She will be fondly remembered for her love of cooking, playing piano, the culinary arts, travel, tending to the garden and greenhouse, entertaining and weekly bridge games! 

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her sister Rita Hirsch Moor of Lindenhurst, NY; her daughter, Alice Cromarty of Lindenhurst, New York; and sons Ross Cromarty of Scottsdale, Arizona and Peter Cromarty of Manhattan and Palm Beach, Fl; and her grandchildren, Emily Murphy of Nashville, Tennessee and Christine Fitz Henry of Manhattan; along with 3 great grand sons.

Memorial donations may be made to: Society of Vincent de Paul (Lindenhurst Food Pantry) 210 S. Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst, NY 11757; Lindenhurst Historical Society, P.O. Box 296, Lindenhurst New York, 11757 or an organization of your choice.