Mary Ellen Logan passed away August 28 at the age of 86 after a one-year bout with leukemia. She grew up in East Lansing, Michigan and was the daughter of Edward and Nina Eckert. Her father was Director of Roadside Development for the state of Michigan, who played a leading role in the early development and expansion of roadside parks in the US (now known as rest stops) and her mother Nina Eckert was a part-time home economics teacher and sorority mother. Mary Ellen received a Regents Alumni Scholarship to the University of Michigan, graduated in 1956 and did graduate studies at the Michigan School of Education.
Performing at a Mu Phi music recital, she met the oldest son of the hostess, the love of her life, Michigan medical student, Robert G. Logan. They were married in East Lansing in 1956. After his University of Michigan residency, they moved to Santa Barbara in 1963, where Dr. Logan practiced endocrinology at Sansum Medical Clinic for 31 years. Mary Ellen was President of Sansum Diabetes Research Auxiliary. She taught and played piano and other musical instruments in several schools and churches, and was a piano teacher to many Santa Barbara schoolchildren.
She was a strong advocate for mental health. For ten years she helped create and teach “Mental Health Matters,” with Santa Barbara’s Mental Wellness Center. She was also a member of the board of Postpartum Support International (PSI) for 25 years. Their mission is to get information about postpartum depression to new mothers. She created the first PSI poster, and, with her husband, the first brochure for fathers, “Helping a Father and Family through Postpartum Depression,” and helped mail both to over 30,000 families in over ten countries. Mary Ellen was President of her Tri Delta sorority alumnae group and also of Santa Barbara Music Teachers.
She is survived by Robert Logan, her husband of 64 years, sons Don and Mark, both living in Santa Barbara, and daughter, Elizabeth Soldahl, living in South Carolina. She is survived by nine “above average!” grandchildren and one great-grandson, who along with Don, Mark and Elizabeth enriched and challenged her life with music, faith, tennis, golf, humor, gardening, travel and great joy! A woman of strong faith, the day before she passed away, she whispered, “the Lord is coming.” Some of her favorite expressions were: “A place for everything, and everything in its place,”and “I know someone who says a prayer when they hear an ambulance siren,””April Fool’s, I got you on that one,”and “Mimi doesn’t like motorcycles!”
There will be a service for family members only. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to
Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center.
