| Honored by: | Suzanne Zilber, Cathy Zilber, Steve Zilber and David Zilber |
| Brick location: | F:18 map |
Elizabeth Levy Gardner, born April 1935 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, died June 15, 2021 of Parkinson's Disease in Knoxville, Tennessee. She is remembered for her spunk, flexibility, and willingness to take risks. While known as Ellie in her years in Vermont and Tennessee, she was Betsy to those who knew her in Cleveland. A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Ellie was born to Marion I Levy and Charlotte Salzer Levy, there is a brick for Granny Char Levy as well. Ms. Gardner graduated from Shaker High, Class of 1953 and Bryn Mawr College, Class of 1957, where she studied biochemistry. She was married to Sidney Zilber and divorced in 1981. Ellie had a varied career ranging from biochemist to floral designer, to ski instructor in Vermont, to teacher and school volunteer when she came to Knoxville. She earned a Master of Education from Antioch New England Graduate School when she was 57. She volunteered in many ways during her years in Cleveland including recording books for the blind, ORT, and stroke research. In Vermont, she was a volunteer EMT and served on Civil Air Patrol. She was an active storyteller for many years and her versions of the Talking Eggs, Stone Soup and Epaminondas are remembered by many, but especially her grandchildren. She was an avid gardener and loved ballroom dancing and Taoist Tai Chi. Ellie was a member of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church for about 25 years, survived the shooting there without physical injury, and members enjoyed her modern floral arrangements.
She is preceded in death by her partner, Justin Green. Ellie is survived by son, Steven A. Zilber of Cleveland, Ohio; son, David J. Zilber (Trish) of Chesapeake. Virginia; daughter, Suzanne Zilber formerly of Ames, Iowa and now in Cleveland Heights (Adin Mann) , Ohio and daughter, Catherine B Zilber of Knoxville, TN; sisters, Margery Margolis of Camden, Maine and Jill Targer of Houston, Texas; and grandchildren Jonathan E. Zilber, Hannah C. Zilber, Charlotte Z. Mann and Aaron Z. Mann (Ting Cui).