Ellen Ann Schwartz

Ellen Ann Schwartz, 75, of Providence, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2026, with close friends by her side. 

Born in Brooklyn to Mollie Margolies and Donald Schwartz, she was raised in New York and Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Ellen attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Rhode Island College, and graduated from UMass Dartmouth with a Bachelors in Sociology, and then from URI with a Masters in Accounting. She spent over 30 years as a certified public accountant to individuals and non-profits, as well as an accounting instructor at CCRI and other local institutions. She was known for her unflagging generosity, her dedication to her community, and her loyalty to her many friends. 

Ellen loved volunteering at her local library and was a founding member of the Community Libraries of Providence, which saved the many neighborhood and branch libraries from closure in 2009. She was a long-time Board Treasurer for the CLP and helped obtain significant grants to make capital improvements on the library buildings. Ellen was awarded PCL Volunteer of the Year in 2017 for her administrative and ESL tutoring work, and PCL Board Member of the Year in 2020.

Ellen is survived by her beloved husband, Stephen Ciesluk. Ellen will be remembered for her integrity, intelligence, sense of humor, and love for friends and family. 

In lieu of flowers (which we know Ellen wouldn’t have appreciated in life!), please consider donating to the Community Libraries of Providence- https://clpvd.org/support/. 

Friends and family are invited to a remembrance of Ellen’s life on May 30, 2026 from 3 to 5pm. Optional dress code: purple and/or “dungarees.” Please contact [email protected] for the location- please note the location has changed and will not be at Ellen’s house.

There will be an additional celebration, hosted by the CLP at the Washington Park Library in June, more details to follow. 

 

Photo credit: Barbara Karoff