Ellen Gasser's Obituary
On February 7, 2020, Ellen Gasser, loving mother, wife, and friend to many, passed away from breast cancer at the age of 74. Ellen was born December 23, 1945, in Oakland, California, to mother, Eileen Elizabeth (Murphy) Lasher and father, Alfred W. Lasher, Jr. Ellen grew up in Berkeley, California; she attended grammar school at the School of the Madeleine and went on to graduate from St. Joseph's High School in 1963. She married John Gasser on June 28, 1981, in Oakland. Ellen began working for her father’s family business, Al Lasher’s Electronics, in 1968. It was only supposed to be temporary until she found her perfect job but Ellen took to the business quickly and found a real enjoyment for interacting with the customers. Ellen and her brother, Robert Lasher, would later take over business operations and Ellen would work there until her retirement in 2017. Ellen was a strong advocate for local business and a member of the University Avenue Merchants Association, where she served as Vice President at the time of her passing. Ellen had a passion for gardening and reading, even installing a free library in the front yard of her home. Ellen is preceded by her mother Eileen Elizabeth Lasher and father, Alfred W. Lasher, Jr. She is survived by husband, John Gasser, daughter Megan Gasser, brothers Jim and Robert Lasher, and nieces Ashley and Melissa Lasher, along with many other loving family members and friends. Friends, family, and others whose lives Ellen touched are invited to the CHAPEL OF CHIMES funeral home, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, Ca, 94611, at 11am on Thursday, February 20, 2020, to celebrate her life. The family asks that flowers be sent to the Chapel of Chimes or a donation in her honor given to the American Cancer Society.
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