Ellen Ray Arant Lee departed this world a graceful warrior surrounded by loved ones on September 1, 2023, leaving behind a legacy of love, music, and inspiration. She was a beloved resident and friend of Cedar Mountain, North Carolina.

Ellen was born on March 12, 1956 in Columbia, SC. She attended college at Converse College achieving a BM in Performance on the viola. She taught music for many years in the Spartanburg and Columbia areas while also playing in local symphonies. After finishing her Master in Music at the University of South Carolina, she relocated across the country to Arizona and California, only to immerse herself into her children's orchestral programs at their schools. After relocating back to Cedar Mountain in the early 2000's, Ellen started her real estate company, Mountain Living Realty, and opened up the Cedar Mountain Welcome Center for locals and visitors around her mountain community.

In 2006, Ellen fell in love with the bluegrass culture that Transylvania County is known for and began expanding her classical training to embrace this new fiddlin' style. By 2010, she recognized the need for a stringed music education program after the local schools' orchestral programs were getting cut from the curriculum. Mountain School of Strings, formerly Transylvania Youth Strings was established with the mission to reach every child and give them the opportunity to play an instrument.

Her legacy music program is thriving still today as an after-school strings program in every Elementary School in the county, in addition to, adult classes and ensembles offered at the Brevard Music Center.

Ellen has touched the lives of many through her unique method of teaching music and her innate ability to relate to every student with her generosity, humor, compassion, and strength. Due to extreme measures to beat a spreading tumor in 2017, she had conquered her 4th battle with cancer, but in less than a year, would be left with no voice.  There's a quote that says, "when words fail, music speaks." Her music became her voice and even her own daily struggles inspired her to just keep going--keep teaching, keep playing.

Ellen is survived by her devoted husband, Mike Lee; her children: Sarah (Adam) Dearbaugh, Phillip (Gretchen) Yarborough, Mary Yarborough, Emily (Doug) Cooper; bonus daughter, Emily Lee; her sister, Laura (Michael) Rife and brother, Michael (Jan) Arant III.  She was known as "Nonnie" to her 12 beautiful grandchildren: Micah, Jayden, Hannah, Brynlee, Blake, Bruce, Castor, Brooke, Cameron, Braelyn, Colton, and Bradley. She is preceded in death by her parents, Michael and Hallie Arant.

The family will lay her ashes to rest in a private service at Rocky Hill Baptist Church in Cedar Mountain. All are welcome to attend the Celebration of Life at 11am on Saturday, September 9 at Cedar Mountain Moonshine 10754 Greenville Highway Cedar Mountain, NC.  Bring your instrument to share a musical offering.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Mountain School of Strings at www.mtnsos.org in memory of our favorite teacher, Ellen Lee.