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Ellen Irene Bemes
Ellen Irene Bemes of Southampton died on March 5. She was 75.
She was born in Brooklyn on August 31, 1949, the first born of Marilyn and Harold Watson’s four daughters. She grew up in Southampton, attending Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic School and graduating from Southampton High School in 1967. She was quick with a smile and a kind word and made friends wherever she went.
She met and married Patrick O’Donoghue on the Ides of March, 1969. Together they started Bowden Square Painting & Contracting, bought a home and started a family. Their three children were her pride and joy: Tara Godfrey, Deirdre Curtiss and Patrick O’Donoghue, who all survive her. She also enjoyed volunteering for Sacred Hearts Church, teaching children religious education.
After the marriage ended, she managed the Windward at Southampton for many years, hosting visitors and guests with wine and cheese by the pool and her famous smoked salmon mousse. She enjoyed her years working in the Southampton hospitality industry.
Florida called, and she moved south taking her hotel management skills to Tampa and later to Bradenton. In Florida, she would meet her second husband, Carl Thomas Bemes. Together, they enjoyed traveling near and far —road trip or Europe trip, she was packed and ready for adventure. They also enjoyed live music. Original groupies of Storm Bringers, there were many concerts and nights of dancing, much to the dismay of their golden retriever, Alex.
She worked at assisted living facilities in the Palm Harbor area for almost a decade. She enjoyed coordinating activities for residents of her facilities. It gave her great purpose.
Ushering events at Ruth Eckerd Hall fueled Ellen’s appetite for social events, volunteering, music and theater. She signed up for as many usher shifts as possible.
She was also passionate about hosting — Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday celebrations — you name it. She had a prime rib in the oven and Yorkshire pudding batter in the fridge. Come one, come all.
She honored her family, including her parents, children, sisters, nieces and nephews, uncles, aunts, grandchildren and great-grandson. She was always mailing a greeting card.
She was predeceased by her parents; and grandson Ryan Patrick Curtiss. She is survived by three sisters: Laurie Preller, Carole Sharpe and Doris Dimon; her children, Tara Godfrey (Scott Godfrey), Deirdre Curtiss and Patrick O’Donoghue (Jill Applin); her grandchildren, Megan Godfrey, Matthew Curtiss, Sean Godfrey and Katherine Godfrey; her great-grandson, Devon Curtiss; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital (stjude.org).
Staff Writer on Apr 14, 2025