TRAICOFF, Ellen Dorothy

Traicoff, Ellen Dorothy Ellen Dorothy Traicoff, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away Thursday night from breast cancer. She was 44 years old. Ellen was born April 24,1962 in Brookfield, Illinois to Warren and Dorothy Turek. In 1976 they moved to Mesa, where she was active with string groups at both Kino Junior and Westwood High schools. While studying costume design at the University of Arizona, she worked as an intern on the movie "Revenge of the Nerds", and earned her Bachelor's degree in radio and television production. In 1985 she married her high school sweetheart, James Traicoff, and soon after, she became the Head Costumer for Ballet Arizona. After earning her Teaching Certificate, and her Masters Degree in Education, from Arizona State University, she taught at South Mountain High school before returning to Mesa to teach at life management and fashion design at Westwood High School. She stopped teaching in 2002 to care for her daughter Cassie; she returned in 2005 taking a position at Red Mountain High school. Ellen is survived by her daughter, Cassandra Michelle, her husband James, her brother Joel Warren Turek, her cousin Karl Joseph Sup, and many others. Services were held at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park & Funeral Care. Published in The Arizona Republic on 10/28/2006.