Ellen Bond Mary

Mary Ellen Bond, 89, of Ovid, went to be with her Lord on Jan. 4, 2014. She was born on October 14, 1924, in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Stuart V. and Dorothy (Davis) Carpenter. She graduated from Ithaca High School in 1943. Mary Ellen was a coloratura soprano and had the honor of singing on television with Paul Whiteman’s Orchestra at the age of 16. Subsequently, she was offered a scholarship to attend the prestigious Juilliard School of Music, but chose a different direction for her life. It was while employed in the recruiting office at Sampson Naval Base that Mary Ellen would meet the love of her life, Miles John Bond, with whom she would share a fairytale marriage of 40 years (until the time of his death in 1987). Together they owned and operated Bond Motors Oldsmobile-Chevrolet dealership in Ovid, during which time Mary Ellen was honored by General Motors with several awards for outstanding double-entry bookkeeping. She and Miles had four children, John, Carol Lee, and twins Cynde and Sande. She dedicated her life to her family, which naturally included her brothers and sisters and their many children. In fact, the Knapp, Wendland, and Carpenter cousins were at the Bond cousins’ house so often, they were more like siblings than cousins. And “Aunt Mary” had boundless tolerance for all the ‘happy racket’ that ensued with so many children in the swimming pool laughing and shouting “Marco-Polo”. She always made it a happy time for everyone.

Mary Ellen and Miles enjoyed bowling on leagues at Sunset Bowl in Geneva for several years, each winning numerous league and individual trophies. They regularly hosted large family picnics poolside, one of Mary Ellen’s favorite places to spend time. She was a lifelong member of the Eastern Stars and was an accomplished seamstress, baker, and candy maker. She enjoyed creating original handmade scrapbooks for her grandchildren, filled with clippings and photos and incorporated throughout with three-dimensional images of her own artistic design. She was known for her compassionate heart and frequently opened her home to provide care for immediate or extended family members recovering from illness or injury and, of course, childbirth. She was the best wife, mother and grandmother anyone could have asked for, as well as honorary “Mom/Gramma” to many others.

She will be sadly missed by daughters Carol Lee (Allen) Harris of Fayette, Cynde Lou Hammond of Ovid, and Sande B. (Allan) Smith of Interlaken; grandchildren Audra Corrina (Ted) Brown, Ashleigh Ellen Smith, Bret Allen Harris, Miles Allan Smith, Amity Helen Smith, and Carrie (Jody) Norton; great-granddaughters Olivia Skylar Bacon, Elanee and Vayda Vazquez-Norton, and Maya Norton; brother Carl T. (Elizabeth) Carpenter of Ithaca; sister Helen Louise Wendland of Vestal; many nieces and nephews; stepchildren Barbara (Gerald) Billings, Beverly (David) Billings, and Tracy (Sally) Bond; several step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband Miles John Bond; son John Stuart Bond; brother Earl Carpenter; sisters Velma Kissock, Nonie Knapp, and Jean Edsall; son-in-law Dion R. Hammond; stepson Frederick Bond.

Arrangements are being handled by Covert Funeral Home. In accordance with her wishes, there will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to South Seneca Ambulance Corps, PO Box 280, Ovid, N.Y. 14521. Information regarding a future celebration of Mary Ellen’s life will be forthcoming.