Ellen Lee Shiffer, P.A.

Ellen Lee Shiffer, of Roaring Brook Township, Pennsylvania, passed away on March 20, 2026, after a courageous battle with Signet Ring Cell Adenocarcinoma, leaving behind a life marked by love, kindness, and selflessness toward all who knew her. Ellen fought the strongest battle possible against this terrible disease. Words remain inadequate to fully describe a person such as Ellen. Her passing leaves an unfathomable void for those who loved her, but also a legacy of a life well lived. This is reflected most profoundly in her three daughters, whose lives stand as a testament to the person she was.

Born on June 14, 1976, Ellen was raised in Newton Ransom by Mike and Joyce Kozlowski alongside her identical twin sister Anna, and her two siblings Gwen and Mike Kozlowski. Her upbringing developed her independence, resilience and character. Ellen developed an unbreakable bond with her twin Anna, which endured throughout their lives up to and including Anna’s tireless care for Ellen throughout her illness until the end. Ellen was also supported and loved by her aunts, Donna Sohns and Lynn Faye, and by her late grandmothers, Elinore Cummings and Margaret Churnock throughout her life, and their love and support meant a great deal to her.

A 1994 graduate of Abington Heights High School, Ellen excelled academically and athletically. She was a multisport athlete in gymnastics, track and field, swimming, and volleyball. She continued her track and field career at Shippensburg University, where she also enjoyed extracurricular activities including theatre. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Shippensburg University in 1997, and went on to be a part of the first graduating class of the school of Physician Assistant Studies from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine by earning a Master’s of Science in 2000.

Ellen devoted the next twenty-five years of her life to the practice of medicine, serving her patients with compassion, intelligence, and a deeply rooted sense of care. Her work was not simply a profession, but a calling. Ellen’s career as a PA was very fulfilling for her. This profession exemplified her humility, compassion and enduring commitment to others.

She was the beloved wife of Donald P. Shiffer III and the devoted mother of, Madison Ava Shiffer, Avery Aniela Shiffer and Maeve Emiline Shiffer. Her family was the center of her life and the measure by which she defined it. She carried within her a rare blend of selflessness, compassion, kindness, strength, and unwavering love. These are all qualities that shaped who she was and defined her completely, both as a mother and as a person.

From the moment each of her daughters was born, and through every milestone and life experience that followed, the love and care Ellen gave were constant and extraordinary. While words are ultimately inadequate to capture the depth of that devotion, those who witnessed it understood that it stood apart in every meaningful respect. She approached motherhood with complete presence, giving of herself fully and without reservation, and took profound pride in preparing her daughters to go forward into the world with love, strength, integrity, and compassion.

Through her example, she taught goodness in its truest sense to treat others with kindness, to lead with compassion, and to do what is right even when it is difficult. She instilled in her daughters kindness, maturity, humility, strength, independence, and character; qualities that will endure throughout their lives. They remain her masterwork and her crowning achievement.

Ellen was also a deeply devoted friend to those fortunate enough to have known her. She formed lasting relationships grounded in loyalty, sincerity, and quiet generosity, and she gave of herself in ways that were often unseen but never unnoticed. This is evidenced by the lifelong friendship with Chrissy Neary, who she met in kindergarten, and whose bond was strengthened throughout their lives. Ellen made it a point however to also continue to form meaningful relationships throughout her life, which left a trail of close friends who she loved, and who loved her dearly.

Those who knew Ellen understood her to be warm, kind, and loving. Her presence was steady and uplifting, and even in the most difficult moments, including during her illness, she retained a lightness of spirit. Her strength was evident not only in how she lived, but in how she endured. Even at her sickest, she remained among the strongest, guided by an unwavering will to live and to be present for her daughters.

She found joy in life’s simple and meaningful pleasures: time with her family, movie nights, shopping, sharing tea, enjoying great meals, trips to New York, attending Taylor Swift concerts, and in the everyday moments that brought laughter and light to her children. These moments, though ordinary in form, were extraordinary in the way she lived them.

Her loss is immeasurable. She leaves behind not only those who loved her, but a legacy reflected in the lives she shaped, the patients she cared for, and, most enduringly, in her daughters. That legacy will continue in their lives, in the strength of her family, and in the lasting impression she made on all who had the privilege to know her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday at 10AM in Saint Ann Basilica, 1250 St. Ann Street in West Scranton. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 3PM-6PM in the Carlucci-Golden-DeSantis Funeral Home, Inc. 318 East Drinker Street in Dunmore. Interment will take place at the convenience of her family. All those attending the funeral are directed to go directly to the church Thursday morning and are welcome to wear some pink , Ellen’s favorite color, in celebration of her life.

To offer her family an online condolence, please visit www.NEPAfuneralhome.com

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