Obituary of Ellen Bregman

Ellen Joan Bregman died on September 10, 2022 at age 91, with her husband, children and grandchildren by her side. Ellen was born on September 5, 1931, in Toronto, Canada to Sidney and Rosabel Druckman, and became the older sister to Dr. Paul Druckman. In the midst of pursuing her chosen careers as an actress under the stage name of “Ellen Drake”, and a kindergarten teacher under the name of, well, Ellen Druckman, and all the while planning an epic trip to Europe, she met the “man from Cheyenne”: a 6’4” Jewish cowboy who played basketball and sold saddles. He, Aaron Bregman, was to become her husband of 69 years, after a very brief courtship, (and her family’s ability to locate Cheyenne on a world atlas). Only weeks after they met, she made the long journey to Cheyenne to visit Aaron, meet the family and become engaged. Ellen and Aaron were married in Toronto, Canada on August 23, 1953 in her parent’s stunning English garden. Together, they had four children during the first 5 years of marriage. This large number of children in quick succession was likely related to her original desire to be a kindergarten teacher. In 1966, the family moved to Denver, Colorado where Ellen took the lead raising the kids, exposing them to everything from art and music to theater and sports, but always with an emphasis on Jewish traditions and, above all, the family. As she said on countless occasions, she was most happy when she was with her family and everyone was together. While raising the kids, she managed to work and volunteer endless hours to community causes. While in Cheyenne her volunteer efforts included teaching Hebrew school, raising money for the hospital, and being a member of the League of Women Voters. After moving to Denver she also became an active and long time member of The National Council of Jewish Women, worked with Historic Denver, and served as a docent at the Denver Art Museum, to name but a few. No matter what she did, she always gave it her all. She always had an eye for design and fashion and had her own unique flair. Her abilities translated into a long career as a personal shopper, image consultant and teacher. Early on she worked as personal shopper at Joslins, and later developed “Image Systems”, a business to help people develop their own style. For years she taught at Emily Griffith School teaching those same image development skills to students seeking employment or just a change in their life. She and Aaron were members of one of the longest running Jewish Chavurah study groups in Denver. As a long time member and active participant in Welcome to Colorado and the Denver Croquette Club, she did what she always did; take advantage of every opportunity to learn new things, contribute all that she could, make new friends, and enjoy everything to the utmost. She was known for her artistry in everything from flower arranging, painting, and jewelry making, to throwing her famously innovative and fun parties. She loved to bring people together, from her oldest friends to the new person who just arrived in town. Ellen was buried at the Mount Sinai Jewish Cemetery in Cheyenne, Wyoming at a small graveside service held on September 13, 2022. She is survived by her husband Aaron, children Judith (husband Hank), and David, grandchildren Nicholas Bernard and Dylan Robert Bregman, her brother Paul Druckman (wife Sandy), and countless friends. She was the heart of her family and the axis around which everything turned. She was widely loved and all will miss her smile and exuberance, and the light that she cast everywhere she went, with everyone she met. Donations may be made in her name to ADL (https://support.adl.org) or The Denver Hospice (https://thedenverhospice.org).