Timothy S. Eller

Timothy Stephen Eller, a skilled craftsman and an accomplished professional who designed and built innovative computer-based learning systems, died on June 1 at the age of 84. In his later years, he battled Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a rare, degenerative brain disorder. Before that diagnosis, he was an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoyed hiking, paddling, bicycling, and windsurfing, among other pursuits. He was an accomplished woodworker and homebuilder. His restoration of Riverton, a 19th-century house that the Eller family resided for many years, was recognized with a 1991 Preservation Award from the Montgomery County, Maryland for Historical Preservation.

Born to Stephen Louis Eller and Kathryn Ruth Eller, Tim was raised in Cleveland, Ohio, along with his older sister Joan Eller Rasmussen. Tim enjoyed many childhood adventures with his cousins in Ohio, and later with his many nieces and nephews. He excelled at Rocky River High School, earning recognition as a National Merit Scholar. He continued his studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, where he obtained bachelor’s and master’s Degrees.

Tom Ludlam, a classmate at RPI, became a lifelong friend. He notes, “Tim was a man of ever-active intellect, and a master of just about every discipline or craft he undertook. In his profession as an engineer, he led teams riding the crest of historic breakthroughs in electronics during the latter part of the 20th century, working with companies such as Raytheon, Sylvania, and Boeing during an era that revolutionized communications in education, industry, and aeronautics.”

Tim met Sally Edith VanRiper Eller while he was still an undergraduate at RPI. They married and had two sons, Mark Timothy Eller and Stephen Barton Eller. Tim and Sally lived at Riverton for many years, then returned to Upstate New York to retire in a house perched above Cayuga Lake’s western shore, close to Sally’s childhood home. They eventually returned to Maryland to live in the Friends House Retirement Community, where Sally still resides. Tim’s grandchildren are Flint Barton Eller and Sirina Jane Eller, on Stephen’s side, and on Mark’s side, Sam Timothy Jhung Eller and Ben Robert Jhung Eller.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, September 5, 2026 at Friends House Retirement Community. 17330 Quaker Lane, Sandy Spring MD 20860. Donations in Tim's memory may be sent to the Edith B. Ford Memorial Library in Ovid, New York (ovidlibrary.org), Friends House Retirement Community in Sandy Spring, Maryland, (donorperfect.com/TimEller26), or to the nonprofit of your choice.