Ellen Margaret Hedderman

Albany, NY-On November 1, 2024, Ellen Margaret Hedderman passed away at Albany Medical Center after a brief illness. Ellen was born at Brady Hospital in Albany on February 3, 1966. She was the youngest of five children of the late Robert J. and Eleanor (Lyons) Hedderman, Sr. Ellen attended Slingerlands Elementary School, Bethlehem Middle School and graduated from Bethlehem High School. She earned an Associate in Arts degree from Maria College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Magna Cum Laude, from The College of St. Rose. She was a lifelong member of the Parish of Mater Christi (formerly St. Catherine of Siena) in Albany. Ellen’s life revolved around baseball. For her, the four seasons of every year were not spring, summer, fall, winter, but Spring Training, Regular Season, Post-Season and then “The Void,” that gray, dismal period of the year between the last game of the World Series and the day in January when pitchers and catchers reported for Spring Training. During The Void, she followed (but did not live and die with) the New England Patriots and the Boston Bruins. You were a lucky person if you were on her mailing list to receive one of her homemade “Opening Day” of baseball season cards, often personalized with images of your favorite baseball team and usually accompanied with an inspirational baseball quote or a little nugget of baseball history. Ellen was a student of the game and had extensive knowledge of all baseball teams. She was devoted to the Boston Red Sox. Her apartment, affectionately referred to as “The Gnome Palace,” was decorated to the max with Red Sox items and memorabilia. She made many trips to her “holy shrines” of The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, and Fenway Park. She was privileged to meet a few Red Sox greats over the years. On one such trip, her brother Jim and friend John Kearney arranged a surprise meeting with her idol, the great right fielder, #24, Dwight “Dewey” Evans, which rendered her speechless – a rare occurrence -- for roughly 10 seconds. She loved her family and friends, and showed it by never forgetting a birthday, anniversary or other important occasion, and by always staying in touch. She loved her canine and feline “nieces and nephews.” She loved sending long, emoji-filled texts. She loved parties and family gatherings, any occasion for bantering, arguing and laughing, especially if the topics included baseball and family lore. She hated leaving parties and family gatherings, …and the New York Yankees (although she had grudging respect for certain of their players, especially Derek Jeter). In addition to her parents, Ellen was predeceased by her uncles, John Lyons and John Hedderman and her aunts Mary Hedderman and Jane Hedderman. She is survived by her siblings, Dr. Robert J. Hedderman, Jr., his wife Linda and their children Greg (Eve), Brittany (Nick), and Erin (Mark); Dr. Ann Hedderman; Thomas Hedderman and his wife Jennifer and their children Ciarán and Nóra; and James Hedderman and his wife Kathleen. She is also survived by her great-nieces Dylan and Raegan Giordano; her uncle Richard Hedderman, Sr., his wife (Aunt) Caryl and his family; her aunt Alice Lyons; and many beloved cousins and friends. The family wishes to thank the staff of Albany Medical Center for their kind care during Ellen’s last illness. They wish to thank Dr. Gloria Guptill and the staff at Community Care Physicians in Delmar, Dr. David Palat, all of the personal care assistants who helped Ellen live a full and independent life, especially Kimberley Cozzy, and wish to thank all her many friends who so enriched her life. Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Ellen’s family Wednesday, November 6, 2024 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm at McVeigh Funeral Home, 208 North Allen Street, Albany, NY 12206. Please enter the funeral home from the rear parking lot entrance only. Funeral services Thursday, November 7, 2024 at 11:30 am at Parish of Mater Christi, 40 Hopewell Street (Rev. Kenneth J Doyle Way), Albany, NY 12208 where her Funeral Mass will be celebrated. The Rite of Committal will be held at St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands, NY immediately following the Funeral Mass. To leave a message for the family please visit www.McveighFuneralHome.com In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Jimmy Fund (jimmyfund.org), the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (oif.org), Mohawk Hudson Humane Society (mohawkhumane.org) or the Food Pantries For the Capital District (thefoodpantries.org).

Tributes

Ellen Margaret Hedderman

February 3, 1966 - November 1, 2024