Ellen Elizabeth Fitzgibbon

Age 49, of Philadelphia, passed away Friday, June 8, 2018, after a brave, four-year battle with ovarian cancer. Born April 13, 1969 in Trenton, NJ to John Gerald and Nancy Fitzgibbon, Ellen was the eldest of three daughters. She attended Hackettstown High School, followed by Smith College, where she graduated in 1991 with degrees in music and biology. She taught high school biology for four years before attending veterinary school at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1999. Since 2000, she had worked as a veterinarian at VCA Old Marple Veterinary Hospital in Springfield, PA. Strong, smart, independent, and adventurous, Ellen loved nature, world travel, and photography. After her ovarian cancer diagnosis, she combined these passions and founded Shooting for a Cure to support ovarian cancer research through the sale of her powerful photographs. She is survived by her mother, Nancy Fitzgibbon; sisters, Anne Fitzgibbon and Kate Callihan; brother-in-law, Patrick Callihan; niece, Meghan Callihan; and partner, Neil Dobson. Ellen was predeceased by her father, John Gerald Fitzgibbon. A memorial will be held at a later date for family, friends, and the many others whose lives Ellen touched and inspired. Donations can be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Center or the Drapkin Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.