RSS 2.0 FeedMarch 31, 2011, Death Notices
Merrick's two-time presidential candidate Ellen McCormack dies
Services set for April 1 and 2 for Ellen McCormack.
Ellen McCormack, a political activist and two-time candidate for President of the United States, died on Sunday, March 27, in Avon, Connecticut, after a long illness.
A former Merrick resident, she was 84 years old
Mrs. McCormack was born in the Bronx on September 15, 1926, to Ellen and William Cullen. She was married for 44 years to Francis McCormack, a New York City police deputy inspector, and is survived by four children: Kathleen McCormack Batterson of Farmington, Connecticut, Anne McCormack of Sag Harbor, Ellen Stapleton of Holbrook and John McCormack of Yardley, Pennsylvania; daughter-in-law Colleen McCormack, and sons-in-law Jon Batterson and Edward Stapleton. Mrs. McCormack had two sisters, 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
In the politically charged atmosphere of the ’60s, Mrs. McCormack’s interest in politics was sparked and she became involved with local community affairs. In the early ’70s, her activism found its defining issue as a result of the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
By 1976, she had joined with a group of Long Island women opposed to legalized abortion, forming the Pro-Life Action Committee. In an effort to focus attention on their issue, a decision was made to run a candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, with no prior political experience.
With that one action she was thrust into the limelight. Her candidacy for national office was boosted by the recent change in the election law.
Ellen McCormack became the first woman to receive federal matching campaign funds, and the infusion of federal money financed commercials and appearances around the country. After visiting 22 states and garnering considerable press attention, she received 238,000 votes in 18 Democratic primaries.
Her name was put into nomination at the Democratic Convention and she received 22 delegate votes from five states on the first ballot. In 1980, she ran again for President as the candidate of the Right-to-Life Party, earning 32,327 votes from three states. She was chairwoman of the party and its candidate for lieutenant governor of New York in 1978.
After her husband died, Mrs. McCormack retired to Sag Harbor on the East End of Long Island. Her later years were spent on the beach and painting landscapes inspired by the seaside community. The last few years of her life were lived in Farmington with daughter Kathy and her husband John.
Ellen McCormack was devoted to her family and friends, and to the end of her life never lost the passion for the Right-to-Life movement and politics.
A wake will be held at N.F. Walker Funeral Home on Merrick Avenue, on Friday, April 1, from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, at Curé of Ars Church, Merrick Avenue.
