Dorothy Ellen Braswell

Dorothy Ellen Braswell, age 86, of Valdosta, Georgia, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 20, 2025 at her home.

Born on April 6, 1939, in Tift County, Georgia, Ellen was the daughter of the late John Lauger Chappell and Edress Cooper Chappell. Her early years took her from Weaverville, North Carolina to Baltimore, Maryland, and eventually back to Tifton, Georgia. She attended Chula Elementary and Middle Schools and graduated from Tift County High School in 1957.

Ellen began her professional journey as a bookkeeper at Tift County Hospital. In 1962, she moved to Valdosta, where she worked for the Valdosta/Lowndes County Planning Commission until 1966. She continued her career as a secretary and bookkeeper for various organizations until her retirement.

A devoted community member, Ellen was active in the Marching Cats Band Boosters during the early 1980s and was honored as a Southern Belle by the Kappa Alpha Order at Valdosta State University in 1982. She was a faithful member of First Presbyterian Church in Valdosta.

Ellen found joy in reading, quilting, and hosting family and friends. Her heart belonged to the Blue Ridge Mountains, a love sparked in childhood during visits to family friend Mrs. Nettie Jones, who owned Hamburg Mountain in Weaverville, North Carolina. Teatime with Mrs. Nettie and her friends at the Biltmore Estate and Grove Park Inn was among the cherished memories Ellen made in the Blue Ridge region. These gatherings, filled with laughter and friendship, became treasured moments that deepened her lifelong love for the mountains and the people who made them feel like home. Rhododendron hunting along the parkway became a cherished pastime. Her passion for the mountains, spring flowers, and Christmas traditions lives on through her four daughters.

She is survived by her daughters: Cynthia Morris Coats (the late Warren Coats), Beth Dasher, and Emma Kanawha Braswell-Phillips (Joshua Phillips), all of Valdosta, and Rebecca Ellen Braswell of Sweetwater, Tennessee. Her grandchildren include Lauren Coats Schmidt (Kurtis Schmidt), Callie Coats Shepard (Kevin Shepard), Cameron Phillips, and McKenzie Dasher. She also leaves behind great-grandchildren Elijah Schmidt, Samantha, Hannah, Caleb, and Olivia Shepard.

Ellen is also survived by her brother Randall Chappell of Wrightsville, Georgia; sister-in-law Brenda Chappell of Chula; niece Belinda (Tom) Coleman; nephews Ferrell (Lindsey) Chappell and Doug Chappell; and several great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her brother Fred Chappell, nephew Michael Chappell, and son-in-law Warren Coats.

The family will host a memorial gathering in celebration of Ellen’s life at Park Place by McLane on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Carson McLane Funeral Home is entrusted with arrangements.