A Tribute to Former CA Parent Ellen Lampert Pollock

This week, I had the privilege—and the heartbreak—of attending the memorial service for Ellen Lampert Pollock, a remarkable mother and a deeply cherished member of the Colorado Academy community. She was a parent whom I will never forget—and neither will anyone who knew her.

Ellen and her family—husband Eric and sons Ethan ’15, Cameron ’17, and Will ’20— were part of CA for 18 years. When I first arrived, the boys were already here, and my son George joined their youngest (and her declared favorite) son Will in First Grade. Her boys and her brother gave a moving tribute, as did her rabbi. The central theme in all the eulogies was her “fierce love” for her children. 

As a school, we were often on the receiving end of that “fierce” love from Ellen…. Even the rabbi joked about her times barging into the principal’s office when she felt the need to protect her boys. Anytime she thought we did something wrong, she was sure to let us know. She had a certain intensity about her that could be more than a little intimidating for educators who tend to be conflict-averse. Often she was right about a misstep that we may have made…. And, even when she wasn’t, I often had a hard time not smiling on the inside, because I knew it came from such a place of love. Her son Will and my son George were on the same soccer team Senior year. During one of the last games, she was walking across Firman Field carrying a lawn chair and yelled at me, “Are you glad I will be graduating soon?” I replied, “Of course not, you make my job fun.”

And she did. She did because she cared deeply about her children and was invested in the quality of our educational program. Ellen and her husband Eric came to every school event while her kids were here. She volunteered. And she didn’t just talk to us when there was an issue; she often let us know when we did things right as well. I got to teach all of her kids and had two in my Interim group. Her boys each had unique skills and personalities. And CA was a place where they grew and thrived. But her impact and Eric’s—as shared by the boys at the memorial service—was huge. When I saw the boys offer thoughtful and often humorous tributes to their mom, I was struck by how important it is to have a strong alliance between schools and parents. And having parents who care and are willing to roll up their sleeves and volunteer and contribute to make us all better. 

Eric wrote to me this week and shared something I’ve reflected on deeply:

“We were part of the CA family for 18 years—that’s a long time! And, like any family, there were bound to be disagreements. I remember many of those exchanges well, and some of those have lived on—all in a humorous vein—in our own family conversations to this day.”

That’s exactly it. Ellen pushed us, but she also laughed with us. She loved her boys fiercely—and she loved this community, too. She forged lasting friendships that went far beyond the school years.

I was also reminded of how Colorado Academy is genuinely a family. At the service were former parents, young alumni who remained connected to the Pollock boys, current and former faculty and staff, and even current students who knew her. It was amazing to see so many people attend the service to celebrate the life of an amazing member of our community. My heart goes out to Ethan, Cameron, and Will, but I know they and so many members of our CA family will keep her spirit alive.