Ellen Querfeld, 42, formerly of Essex, died on June 14 after a very long illness. She was born in New London on Nov. 13, 1966, daughter of Ena Monk of East Haddam and the late Alfred Querfeld. She was a member of the track team at Valley Regional High School, from which she graduated in 1984. She graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut (Storrs) in 1988. Her major was fashion design and, until incapacitated by her illness, she was a manager for many years at the Burlington Coat Factory.

Besides her mother, she is survived by two brothers, Brian Querfeld of Tempe, Arizona, and Paul Querfeld of West Hartford, and one sister, Erica Michaud of Madison. She was predeceased by a third brother, Owen Querfeld, who died on Dec. 17, 2008.

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of her life, which is being planned for the summer of 2010.