The women’s division of the 2018 DAWG Bowl is named the “Ellen McGrath Women’s Division” in memory of Ellen.
Ellen was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in 2016 and battled hard, with her passionate love for her family giving her strength and hope along the way. She passed away on Christmas eve of last year surrounded by her loving family. Ellen is survived by her two beautiful children Katie and Ryan, and her husband Johnny (affectionately known as JMac by all his hockey friends).
Ellen was a hockey mom, a hockey wife, a hockey fan, and a hockey player. JMac plays adult hockey with the Army of Darkness, a team that has a long connection to DAWG Nation being both supporters as well as past recipients of DAWG Nation support. Early last year DAWG Nation and the Army came together and presented Ellen with a 2016 survivor jersey signed by many of the survivors, the DAWG Nation board members, and Army teammates. JMac said Ellen loved that jersey.
After Ellen’s passing, the McGrath family wanted to donate to select causes in Ellen’s memory and JMac chose DAWG Nation. At this year’s DAWG Nation pond hockey tournament banquet in Copper Mountain, JMac made sure he was the high auction bidder for a 2017 Dave Repsher “D-Rep” survivor jersey which was personally signed by Dave and presented to JMac. It will be a fitting complement to Ellen’s survivor jersey, and both jerseys share a prominent place displayed in the McGrath home.
Ellen’s memory lives on.
