Sister Ellen Finlay, meditation teacher and solitary nun, died peacefully Feb. 4, 2025 in Tulsa. 

Sister Ellie was born July 28, 1949, and grew up in Vicksburg, MS. Her parents were Billie Ruth (Nixon) Finlay and Samuel Dunn Finlay III. 

An oboist and pianist, she graduated from James Madison University. After her marriage, she taught math, and played oboe in orchestras in the Washington D.C., area. After divorce, she followed up on the nun's vocation that she had felt since her teens. She became an Episcopalian nun in 1987. She spent two years in a convent in Massachusetts, but her calling was solitary. She was sent to Ireland and served as a pastoral assistant, and made final vows before Archbishop Rowan Williams, later Archbishop of Canterbury.   

In 1993 she was sent to South Africa to the staff of Archbishop Desmond Tutu as the apartheid system of racial segregation was dismantled. 

In Capetown she discovered a Tibetan meditation center and with the permission of her superiors, began studying with teacher Rob Nairn. 

In 1996 she moved to Tulsa, OK, joining the staff of St. John's Episcopal Church. She began offering meditation classes, and founded the St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation, later opening a free-standing Center.

Sister Ellie loved animals, and fostered and rescued animals whenever she had a home of her own.   

Sister Ellie dealt with chronic illness, constant pain, and personal tragedy, yet modeled how a deep practice of meditation can create resilience and compassion.  She had a wry sense of humor and relished life's paradoxes. She embraced Facebook and through it kept in touch with friends all over the world.

She is survived by her brother, Sam Finlay of Virginia, and several nieces and nephews. 

Her Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 10:30AM at Christ Church Episcopal, 10901 S. Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK 74137. A reception will immediate follow. *Livestream will be available. A link will be shared before the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. John’s Center for Spiritual Formation online at Support the Life of the Center — St. John's Center for Spiritual Formation or by mailing a check to the Center at 5840 S. Memorial Dr., Ste. 305, Tulsa, OK 74145.