Ellen “Polly” Reynolds Meckel, born and raised in Wellesley, passed away on Wednesday March 15, 2017. She was 59.

Polly was the daughter of the late Jean S. (Sullivan) and the late Charles V. Reynolds, Jr. She began her education at St Paul Elementary School in Wellesley and then attended Newton Country Day School, starting in seventh grade and graduating in 1975 as valedictorian. She went on to study at the College of the Holy Cross and graduated with the Class of 1979, where she received her B.A. in Economics. In her constant quest for learning, she attended law school during evenings at Suffolk Law School and graduated with the Class of 1985, receiving her Juris Doctor Degree in Law. Later that year, she passed the Massachusetts Bar exam.

Polly began her professional career working for the First National Bank of Boston in the Trust Department upon graduating from Holy Cross where she remained until 1985. After leaving the Bank, she became a Financial Analyst for Newbury Piret & Co. from 1985 to 1988. In 1988 she married Timothy S. Meckel and worked as a Financial Analyst for American Appraisal Company in Pasadena, CA until 1992 when she decided to postpone her career to raise her family. Polly began to search for additional challenges 20 years later, as the older children began college. As a life-long avid reader, Polly soon became an Orton-Gillingham certified reading specialist. In 2014, she began tutoring elementary school students at the Carroll School in Waltham. She found this new role extremely rewarding and always included her daily accomplishments during family dinner conversations.

In addition to her fulfilling professional career, Polly was an accomplished artist, an avid skier at her home mountain, Okemo, and a skilled golfer. She enjoyed golfing with her family and the nine hole ladies at Brae Burn, where she became club champion in 2009. She was a member and former past president of the Service League of Wellesley. She was also a member of the Wellesley Garden Club, Brae Burn Country Club, Woods Hole Golf Club, the Massachusetts Bar Association and was a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA) Charter Holder.

She is survived by her husband Timothy Meckel and children, Christopher Meckel of San Francisco, CA, Stephanie Meckel of Boston and Andrew Meckel and Caroline Meckel both of Wellesley. She is also survived by her sisters, Marnie Reynolds of Westport, Betsy Powers of Wellesley, Alicia McGrath of Boulder, CO., Jeanne Reynolds of Hingham, her brother, Charles V. Reynolds III of Edmond, OK as well as numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday morning March 22 in St. John the Evangelist Church, Wellesley Hills at 10 o’clock. Interment will be in Newton Cemetery, Newton. Arrangements by the Henry J. Burke and Sons Funeral Home, Wellesley Hills.

In Lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Carroll School Scholarship Fund at www.carrollschool.org, or to the Newton Country Day School Scholarship Fund at www.newtoncountryday.org.

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