We recently learned that Ellen Worcester Nickelsberg passed away on December 25, 2022. Her obituary was published by Albany Times Union on Feb. 19, 2023.

“Ellen Georgi Worcester was born on April 7, 1945, and lived her early life in Englewood, N.J. with her parents, Doctors Dorothea and John Worcester, and her brothers, William and John. She attended Dwight Englewood High School and graduated from Manhattanville College. Following graduation, she went to work at Johnson Redbook Service as a retail store analyst. There she met and married Fred Shaughnessy and moved to Mount Kisco, N.Y.

After Fred’s tragic death, Ellen went back to working on Wall Street where she met and married Jost Nickelsberg. Soon thereafter, Ellen’s interest in German Shepherds and sheep herding began to grow and in 1996 they moved to a large farm in Medusa. There, Ellen raised German Shepherd dogs and a flock of sheep to pursue her sheep-herding passion. She and Jost made several trips to Germany to train under Manfred Heyne – a world-famous Shepherd Master and 14-time winner of the German National sheep trials. With her training and experience, Ellen started a website to help others and wrote several articles on German Shepherd breeding and shepherding that were published on German shepherd breeding websites. She received acclaim on several herding websites from other sheepherders she helped train.

Ellen is survived by her brother, John Worcester; her niece, Amanda Worcester and Amanda’s children, Colton and Annabel; as well as her cousins, Julie Worcester, Cammie Bryant and Terry Kaelber. The Worcester and Nickelsberg families wish to thank the many caregivers including Myra Swain, Cara Swain, Sarah Gifford, Sharon Forman, Amanda and Donna Burton, Heidi Florussen, Beaulie Dubose, Gina Grant, Liesl Burnham, Melissa Carkner and Jen Martineau for their heartfelt care of Jost and Ellen, during Jost’s illness.

Condolences may be posted at ajcunninghamfh.com.”