Hudson Loses a Luminary

In the night between Sunday and Monday, Ellen Thurston passed away. She was 94.

When Ellen settled in Hudson in 1996, her life had already been one of brilliance and achievement, from starting out as an aspiring actress to working for NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts), but, as a friend said recently, she "found her voice" in Hudson. 

There was very little that happened in Hudson in the past thirty years that Ellen wasn't a part of. She served on the board of Friends of Hudson during the legendary battle against St. Lawrence Cement. She represented the Third Ward on the Common Council for six years (2006-2011) and on the Columbia County Board of Supervisors for four years (2012-2015). In 2016, soon after she retired from public office, the Hudson City Democratic Committee created the "Ellen Award," to recognize individuals and institutions in Hudson that contribute to the welfare of the city and make Hudson a better place. Ellen was its first recipient. In 2009, she planned and orchestrated Hudson's Quadricentennial observance, "Henry & Hudson: The Namesake Celebration." She was the originator and an organizer of the Mrs. Greenthumbs Day garden tours. For years, she published "Ellen's List," an exhaustively comprehensive list of events happening in and around Hudson. She even did the "Thursday Afternoon Show" on WGXC for a few years with Tom DePietro.

The Hudson Opera House was the cause dearest to Ellen's heart. She was a member of the Hudson Opera House Board of Directors, on and off, for more than twenty years. In 2022, she was named the first Director Emerita. On her 91st birthday, in 2022, the elevator at the Opera House, by then known as Hudson Hall, was dedicated to her in recognition of "her generous support and exceptional service."

Ellen's greatest passion and the contribution that brought joy to the greatest number of people was Winter Walk. Ellen took the reins as chief organizer of Winter Walk in 2001, when the event was in its fifth year, and for the next seventeen years she worked tirelessly for months each year conceptualizing new elements, persuading businesses to participate, lining up entertainers, curating vendors. Winter Walk in 2019, the first year Ellen did not organize the event, was dedicated to her, the "Queen of Winter Walk," for her enduring love and commitment to Hudson's favorite holiday tradition.

Ellen was one of Hudson's great treasures. Inventive, witty, generous, and kind, she was the very definition of indefatigable. Her circle of friends was wide, and she was loved and admired by all who knew her. It is impossible to gauge the impact for good Ellen had on Hudson, just as it is impossible to imagine the last thirty years in Hudson without her. Rest in peace, dear friend, as the community of Hudson mourns you and celebrates you.