Lilian was born in her grandparents' cottage in the Somerset village of Wrington, and born in the same year as the Queen.  Her mother's family and ancestors came from the Mendips area, where they were market gardeners and farmers.  Her mother (Violet) had eight siblings and was a music hall dresser for stage stars such as Evelyn Laye and Wee Georgie Wood and her father (Charles) was a career soldier and horseman in the Signals.

Lilian lived with her parents and two brothers, Dennis and Ronnie, in Kent, and then she lived much of her childhood in India when her father and family was posted to Rawalpindi (now Pakistan, on the Afghan border).  She returned to the UK around the age of twelve (before the partition of India).  

Like the Queen, Lilian joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Services) in World War 2, and for much of the war she worked at Fort Widley near Portsmouth in an underground bunker, where she relayed coded communications supporting naval command and national defence operations, in communication with Bletchley Park and other defence units.  She had amazing memories of her time in the war.  She was very beautiful in her youth and has great photos from this time.  She could also dance the jive and the jitterbug.
 
Immediately after the war she needed to look after her mother whose health was affected by a wartime bomb blast.   Lilian worked in London in office work, including work with an advertising agency on the Strand where she shared an office with Lady Lucan (before she married Lord Lucan).  With the same advertising agency Lilian was a 'hand model' pouring Kellogg's cereals for advertisements.  Her friends and acquaintances included comedians Benny Hill and Reg Varney when they were young.

She was a fine embroiderer, and an active member of The Embroiderers Guild attending courses at the Royal School of Needlework in London, and knitted since she was a child and throughout her life - often sharing her crafting skills with others.

In 1960 Lilian married Bertie Ellett, a banker with Nat West (who in WW2 was in Durham Light Infantry and special forces working behind enemy lines, saw action at Dunkirk and Monte Casino).  She had two daughters - Janis and Lois, plus two step-children Brenda and Keith from Bertie’s first marriage.  

Lilian and Bertie lived with their family in Reigate Surrey from 1962 to the 1980's, then moved to Rock Grove in Kemp Town Brighton near Sussex Square, then moved to The Vineries in Hove.  Bertie passed away in 2008.   In later years, and as her health declined, Lilian lived at residential care homes - Meadowcroft in Shoreham-by-Sea and Longfield in Maldon.  Lilian died at Longfield on 30th December, on a sunny day with birds singing outside her window and family members at her side.  

Lilian was a homemaker, and she has worked part time for BT and for Sussex Eye Hospital.  She has often volunteered to help others - visiting people in care homes, making cakes for WI, knitting for refugees, helping on committees.  She loved people and made friends easily.  She was a true character with a great sense of humour, stories to tell, was much loved and will be greatly missed.