Elisabeth "Ellen" Cornelia Tassone's Obituary
ELISABETH C. (Ellen) TASSONE, CMF, BOC
Age 70, passed away peacefully early on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at her home in Bridgeville, Delaware, surrounded by her loving family, her devoted husband Lawrence (Tazz), sons Marco and Lorenzo, daughter-n-law Angela, sister Irma Troost, nieces Wendy and Conny Troost, sister-in-law Eunice Tassone and grandson Francoise Tassone.
Born on December 29, 1946 in Rotterdam, Holland, Ellen was the oldest daughter of Dirk and Rosalia (de Bree) Vogel. She was born and raised in Rotterdam graduating from Lyceum (High School) in 1962 and subsequently a 2 year Hotel/Motel and Secretarial course. She began her career as a front desk clerk at the Rijn Hotel in that city. Speaking Dutch, German, English and French languages she became a certified travel agent and moved to Stuttgart, Germany to improve her language abilities and further her tourism career. While there she met and married Air Force Staff Sergeant Lawrence H. (Tazz) Tassone of North Adams, MA on 3 and 5 July 1969 in Rotterdam. In 1971 they were transferred to Dayton, OH where she worked as a travel agent and then returned to her family in Holland when her husband was posted to Vietnam later that year. Returning to the US in 1972 to Tampa, FL she became the lead agent in the AAA Travel Department. In 1974 she accompanied her husband to Andrews AFB, MD and was employed by the main AAA headquarters as a travel agent. After 6 months she became General Manager of Mailtech a mailing service in Arlington, VA. One year later she moved on to become the General Manager of the new Tinker's restaurant near Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. Upon her husband's retirement from the USAF in 1977, they moved to San Jose, CA where they became co-owners of the Village Woodshed, a small retail store in the El Paseo de Saratoga Shopping Center that grew into a 3 store chain.
In 1985 the family, now with two sons Marco and Lorenzo, moved to Waldorf, MD where Tazz assumed new duties as a Director at the Air Force Sergeants Association. Ellen then became a homemaker until 1992 when she became owner of the Fran's Nu Image Mastectomy Salon in Waldorf. She eventually became a Certified Mastectomy Fitter with one of the largest clientele of any single managed salon in the eastern U.S. It was during this period that Ellen, in a joint effort with the American Breast Cancer Company, conceived of and became a co-patent holder of their newest mastectomy product the ABC Massage form. A highly innovative and successful form for ABC to this day. In 2009, following sale of the salon, Ellen and Tazz retired to Heritage Shores in Bridgeville, DE where she participated in many of the community's activities along with traveling, cruising and continued the family tradition of traveling back to Rotterdam at least annually to maintain close contacts with her family. She remained a proud Dutch citizen until her passing.
Ellen, as the true center of her family, genuinely enjoyed life and her family to the fullest. On January 14th Ellen was reunited with her beloved father Dirk and mother Rosalia Vogel. She will be sorely missed by her husband of 48 years and her legacy will be cherished by her children Marco (Jennifer) and Lorenzo (Angela) Tassone of Maricopa, AZ and Chicago, IL respectively; her two grandsons Francoise and Bruno Tassone, her sister Irma Troost and nieces Wendy and Conny Troost who reside in Holland; Sr. Eunice Tassone of North Adams, MA; Susan Daugherty of Cheshire, MA; nephew Bruce Tassone of Boston, MA along with many uncles, aunts and cousins in the Netherlands and a host of friends in both DE and the Netherlands.
The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Mohammed Siddique and the caring staff at Nanticoke Hospital Cancer Center, Seaford; Dr. Ephraim Fuchs of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore and the wonderful staff at the Milford Rehabilitation Hospital all of whom made valiant efforts on her behalf while maintaining the most sensitive and sympathetic attitudes that anyone could expect.
A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Hardesty Chapel, 202 Laws Street, Bridgeville, DE 19933, where friends may visit beginning at 10:00 AM. Interment will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mrs. Tassone's name, with notation made for the benefit of residents of Sussex County, DE,
to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 163, Salisbury, MD 21803 or to the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society at 3 International Drive, Suite 200
Rye Brook, NY 10573.
Please sign Mrs. Tassone's online guestbook located on this site.
FLORIST NOTE: PLEASE HAVE ALL FLORAL ARRANGEMENTS DELIVERED BY 3 PM, SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017 TO PARSELL FUNERAL HOMES, BRIDGEVILLE, DE.
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