Complex sentence: Through all the years Ella is supported by her friend Sam Peters, a local grocer, and, until his death, Professor Corcoran, the college president who hires her as a teacher and persuades her to stay when she considers leaving.
Split into simpler sentences: Through all the years Ella is supported by her friend Sam Peters, a local grocer. Another source of support is Professor Corcoran, the college president who hires her as a teacher and persuades her to stay when she considers leaving.