Ellen K Wittlinger

Ellen Kay Wittlinger, 74, of Haydenville, died on November 17, 2022, after developing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease two months earlier. She died peacefully at home surrounded by her loved ones. Ellen is survived by her husband of 44 years, David Pritchard; by her children, Kate Pritchard (Mark Doyle) and Morgan Pritchard; by her grandchildren, Rose Doyle and Jane Doyle; by her many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews; and by a large circle of friends.
Ellen was born in Belleville, Ill., on October 21, 1948. She attended Millikin University and later the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, where she met David. They married in 1978 after a four-month “pre-honeymoon” traveling together in Europe, a trip that was one of the highlights of her life. Several years living in Provincetown (on a fellowship with the Fine Arts Work Center) and Boston were followed by 22 years in Swampscott, where she and David raised their children, before moving to Haydenville in 2004.
She was a writer whose talents spanned several different forms, including poetry, plays, and 17 novels for children and teens. Her 1999 novel Hard Love was her most widely known, winning a Printz Honor and a Lambda Literary Award, but she was perhaps proudest of her 2007 book Parrotfish, a groundbreaking YA novel featuring a transgender main character. She was among the first writers for children to include LGBTQ+ characters in her books, and furthermore, to give them stories that were not about tragedy or trauma, but simply about kids and teens experiencing the joys and challenges of growing up. She also published a book of poetry, Breakers, in 1979, and wrote numerous plays, several of which won awards and were read or performed by companies around the country. She was an integral member of her two critique groups as well as, most recently, the Wild Mushrooms, a local artistic collaborative of older women.
Ellen was a born storyteller and loved nothing more than to get together with family or friends to talk, laugh, and tell stories. With her wide smile and open arms, she was a welcoming presence at any gathering. Her many loved ones will remember her as a keen and empathetic observer of people with all their flaws and foibles. She had a gift for seeing people as they were and loving them for their authentic selves. One of her favorite phrases, usually met with both recognition and dismay, was: "You are who you were in high school."
She also loved to travel, not only because she wanted to see new places (and bring back new stories), but also because it gave her an opportunity to take lots of pictures and scour local markets for beautiful or unusual works of art. In all its forms, art was always her lifeline and her passion, and she was always working on some kind of artistic project, from making jewelry to rug hooking to creating cut-paper masterpieces with her grandchildren.
Ellen will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
There will be a public celebration of her life on March 18th at 11am, in the Garden House at Look Park.
In the meantime, her family suggests that those who are so moved may donate in her name to Provincetown’s Fine Arts Work Center. She often said that Provincetown was her spiritual home, and the FAWC made it possible for her to spend some of her happiest years there.