Mary Ellen Johnston was born December 6, 1956, and sadly passed on December 30, 2025. Mary Ellen, known to her friends as "Mel" or "M.E." was born in Western New York and moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1966. She attended Bishop Hartley in Columbus and Youngstown State. She went on to a career in Government Administration. Even Senator John Glenn noted her work ethic and professionalism, and early in her career she was tapped to work in his office on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. She then worked in Columbus for a number of years for the Franklin County Municipal Court system, among other courts. Mary Ellen had a kind, gentle spirit and was a deep listener. She was very generous and always appreciative of others' time and efforts. Long before there was meetup.com, for decades Mary Ellen was the hub of a dedicated music scene in Columbus. She supported that music scene and brought many others along with her in that appreciation. In 2013 she met AC Collins, a celebrated sax player in Columbus. Mary Ellen and AC were a team. She worked endless hours promoting his local gigs and they shared their lives together until AC passed in early 2023. She leaves behind her sister, Linda who loved her very much and who moved from her home in MA to be with her in Ohio as Mary Ellen faced the battle that took her life, Appendiceal Cancer. Mary Ellen was a fearless woman who showed us all how to live and die gracefully. A celebration of Mary Ellen's life will be held January 17, 2026, at Evans Funeral Home, 4171 E Livingston Ave., Columbus with Visitation at 11:00 a.m., Memorial Service at 12 p.m. followed by a reception. She leaves behind her large extended family of live music lovers as well as her many other friends too numerous to mention. Besides live music, Mary Ellen's other passion was caring for animals, especially cats. People can donate to Colony Cats, Info@colonycats.org located in Dublin, Ohio.