Mr. John William Ellis, Jr., of Keene NH, known simply as ‘Bill’ to one and all, died on April 24, 2020, after many years staying true to his kind and loving essential personality despite the challenges of Alzheimer’s disease. He was wrapped in the love and care of his family, especially his wife of 58 years, Elaine C. Ellis.
Bill was born in Portsmouth, NH, on March 5, 1939, the son of the late John William Ellis, Sr. and Margery (Hodgdon) Ellis. Bill was a ball-player almost from birth—if the game had a ball, he played it, and played it well, from stickball to baseball, with golf, basketball, soccer, and racquetball in between. He played varsity basketball and soccer at Keene State College, and went on to play in many local leagues of all kinds, including being a founding member of the Brattleboro Racquet Sports Club.
Outgoing and sociable, Bill loved people, especially kids. He was an educator at all levels--a classroom teacher, principal, education instructor, and was for fifteen years the Assistant Superintendent of Schools for Windham Southeast Supervisory Union in Brattleboro, VT, concluding his career with eight years as the principal of the Vernon Elementary School. In the 1970’s, his adventurous spirit took him to Ketchikan, Alaska, where he was the Principal and oversaw the founding of a new open-concept elementary school. He loved Alaska--fishing, hunting, camping and exploring from the panhandle to the Pribilof Islands to the Aleutians. He was active in each community he lived in, most recently at Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church in Keene, where he was President of the Parish Council for a number of years.
Bill will be warmly remembered and greatly missed by his wife Elaine C. Ellis; his children and their spouses Joanna Ellis-Monaghan and husband John Ellis-Monaghan, Maria Oberlander and husband Bob Oberlander, and Anthony Ellis; his brother Daniel Ellis; brother- and sister-in-law Arthur and Dorothy Chicaderis; grandchildren Eva Ellis-Monaghan (and husband Charles Myers), Isaiah and Francis Ellis-Monaghan, Mikaela Oberlander, and Emma and Megan Ellis; great-grandson Charles William Myers; nieces Wendy Mello, Robin Hayes, and Samantha Chicaderis; nephew Brooks Bancroft. He was predeceased by his sister-in-law June Ellis.
Bill’s family would like to thank the staff at the Castle Center, HCS Home Health Care, Keene Center Genesis, Maplewood Nursing Home, and Hospice at HCS for all their years of compassionate care.
Funeral services will be private for the immediate family only. A memorial service is anticipated at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Saint George’s Greek Orthodox Church, Box 392 Keene, NH, 034301-0392
