"Her dad died a couple of years ago, and she had a real rough time with that," Nathan Ellis said. "It put a strain on our marriage." The two separated 15 months ago, he said, but began dating again in the summer. It had been up and down since then.

He told her she needed to make a decision about their relationship by the end of 2006, "but then I didn't stick to that either, even though I knew I should have," he said.

After their phone conversation Monday afternoon, Teresa Ellis told Nathan Ellis she was exhausted. She said she was going to take a nap, then head out to to go shopping, he said, and the two planned to talk later in the evening — after the shopping trip.

Teresa, an assistant manager at a West Valley branch of Chase Bank, had earned a bonus from the bank, and she talked about what was on her shopping list.

"She wanted to buy me an iPod," Nathan Ellis said. "And she wanted to buy her mom something really nice."

Teresa Ellis was planning ahead for Mother's Day, and for the birthday of her mom, who lives in New York. That's the way she was, Nathan said, always planning ahead. Always thinking of others. Always nonjudgmental. "Always loving and kind to everyone," he said.

Comments from Nathan Ellis, her relatives and co-workers also craft a picture of a smart, witty woman who was quick with a joke and creative with artsy projects from flower arranging to scrapbooking.

She worked at Chase Bank for six years, starting as a teller and working her way up to assistant branch manager at the bank's West Valley branch. Heather Kesner, head of retail operations for Chase in Utah, called Ellis funny, bright and giving, someone who actively sought out opportunities to serve others.

"She loved to help, whether it was her customers or her Chase co-workers," Kesner said.

Ellis volunteered to be on one of the bank's "travel teams," sometimes spending weeks at a time helping out at other Chase operations. She was part of a team that deployed to New Orleans to provide emergency banking services for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Most recently, she went to New York to help with a major computer systems conversion.

"She was very special," Kesner said.

The two shared a love for New York City and over a recent lunch, had swapped stories about where to buy the best knock-off purses. "We just had a great conversation about the city, and how much she loved the area," Kesner said. "It was our little bond that we had, and it was very nice."

On Tuesday, Kesner said Ellis' co-workers were shaken and had been given time off to grieve. The West Valley bank branch was staffed with employees from other Chase branches. To honor her memory, Chase has established the Teresa Ellis Memorial Fund, which Ellis' family will direct. Contributions will be accepted at any Chase bank.