Mary Ellen 'Mel' Farrell

Mary Ellen "Mel" Farrell, 64, of Urbana, after a brave struggle, succumbed to terminal brain cancer at 6:09AM on 9/03/2015 at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. Mel was born on April Fools Day 1951, in New York, to Wilbur & Marilyn Mangas. She is survived by her husband, David Gerard Farrell of Urbana, daughter DeDe Farrell (Katy Meehan) of Greensboro, NC, her son Matt Farrell of Urbana, and her dog Oona; brother Matt Mangas (Dorothy) of Cape Coral, FL, and sister Sally Mangas of Hampton Bays, NY. The list of things Mel enjoyed is too long to note, and her life, far more impressive than could possibly be contained in one statement. Mel loved food, music, wine, gardening, travel, reading, and bringing her family and numerous friends together for good times. She was the consummate hostess and invitations to her table were highly prized. The local food and specialty libations scene in CU would not be as it is without the mark she left on it. Although she was raised in the New York/New Jersey area, she came to the U of I in the late 1960's to study anthropology & dance. In 1969, she was one of the 400,000 who made the pilgrimage to a dairy farm in the Catskills, to see a little rock and roll concert, Woodstock. While studying at the U of I, she met, and fell in love with area, and her husband of 43 years, Gerard Farrell, and never left. In the early years she worked at the Record Service slinging music and tickets & at Art Mart making delicious confections. By the mid-eighties she return to the university to pursue a Masters in Library Science, and worked for many years in the U of I library system. Additionally she served for over 20 years on the Board of Trustees for the Urbana Free Library. Upon retiring from the University, she was compelled to continue working, so she started part time at the Common Ground Food Co-Op, where she may have been served you a glass of wine or beer at a tasting. Mel made herself known all over the CU area and could be found regularly at Urbana Farmer's Market, Prairie Fruits Farm, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, yoga & pilates classes, and at many of CU's finer dining establishments. You may also have enjoyed her commentary as an active contributor to the New Gazette's Opinions section. Mel lived every day with sincere enthusiasm, and never let her cancer keep her from staying busy & active until the very end. Many of you know her iconic, raucous laugh, brimming smile that lit up the room, and her wine glass holding pouch. Mel never met a stranger, and the friends who will mourn her passage will be legion. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date, so the scores of people who were touched by her can all attend. Please express your thoughts on her Facebook page, or talk about her & share your stories/pictures/videos with others, plant a tree/flowers, sip a wine or throw a drink back. She was a community creator, so let's keep this one growing, that is what she would have wanted. Sunset Funeral Home Champaign-Urbana Chapel is in charge of arrangements. In addition to her Facebook page, please join Mel's family in sharing thoughts, memories, and video at her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.