Ellen Troy Mulcahy May 4, 1958 - July 6, 2024

On Saturday, July 6, 2024, Ellen Troy Mulcahy, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 66 after an illness of several years. Born May 4th, 1958, in Amityville, NY, she was the daughter of the late Al and Trudy (Loser) Troy and was raised on Long Island. Ellen was a world-class professional dancer for 16 years, working non-stop with Joffrey Ballet, Twyla Tharp Dance, Milwaukee Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, in national tours, regional theatre, and on Broadway in the Tony-award winning Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. She taught dance at Syracuse University, NYU, and Muhlenberg College, and became a certified Pilates instructor, founding and leading the Pilates Studio at Muhlenberg College, and teaching at Pilates studios in the Lehigh Valley.

Ellen attended Kennedy High School in Bellmore, NY, received her high school diploma from the American School (while on the road as a dancer with Joffrey Ballet), and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies from Empire State College (summa cum laude).

On August 4, 1990, she married Patrick Mulcahy. They raised two children together, Casey and Lauren Mulcahy.

A beautiful soul, Ellen’s exquisite sensitivity was her guide. She had two passions in life: dance and her family. In her dance career, she worked directly with luminaries at the very center of American dance: Jerome Robbins, Agnes DeMille, Robert Joffrey, Twyla Tharp, and others. She performed the leading roles of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake with Pacific Northwest Ballet, starred in the feature film Dance, danced for several years on Broadway, and toured most US states and five continents with Broadway musicals and world-class dance companies. Then, with the birth of her children and after three years as a dance professor at Syracuse University, Ellen shifted to part-time work in order to make raising her children the center of her life, supporting them in their activities and passions.

Ellen also loved nature, travel, time with friends, and the arts, and brought her artistic eye to decorating and landscaping. She enjoyed time with those closest to her, bringing her quick wit and sparkling vitality to gatherings and celebrations with family and friends.

Ellen is predeceased by her father Al, her mother Trudy, and her nephew Billy Schutz. She is survived by her husband Patrick, her children Casey and Lauren, her brothers Richard Troy (Sue Kemak) and Ken Troy, and her sister Susan Schutz.

A Calling Hour will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, from 1-2 PM at Stephens Funeral Home, 274 Krocks Rd, Allentown, PA 18106, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 PM.

Memorial Contributions in memory of Ellen may be made to The CJD Foundation or Phoebe Ministries.