George "Don" Donald Ellis

September 4th, 1928- March 17th, 2021

George Donald Ellis, 92, passed away peacefully at home with his family on March 17th, 2021. He is preceded in death by his parents, George and Gladys Ellis; his sister, Nora Warterman, his youngest daughter, Dolores Horwood, and his beloved wife of 63 years, D. Jean Ellis. He is survived by his 3 children, Denise Welker, Paula Gilliam, and Don Ellis, his 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. “Don” as he was popularly known, was a bowling proprietor for 60 years, a professional bowler, titled hall of famer, and Korean war veteran, but his favorite title was always “dad” and “grandad.”

Don was a Houston native which he took a lot of pride in. He always enjoyed going to visit his “old stomping grounds” off of Harrisburg Blvd on the East side of town. You could always hear the pure joy in his voice when he would talk about his times down at the ship channel, his grandfather’s diner and his time working at the family service station. It was obvious how much he learned, loved and looked up to his father, as both a family man and businessman; and it is safe to say the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Don enjoyed several hobbies; anything from golfing at his neighborhood country club, to snow skiing in Colorado. In his earlier years, when he wasn’t busy building his legacy, he spent most of his time water skiing on the lake with his family. Throughout his later years he traveled across the country with many close friends. Whether it be seeing the Golden Gate Bridge on the East coast or the Washington Monument on the West coast, he always signed up for the newest adventure. Road trips were always his favorite while traveling so he could stop at every possible place and sight see along the way. He even made a special trip to Japan to help build his phenomenal career.

In more recent years, his favorite past time was telling stories about his long-lived, amazing life and everything he experienced. His favorite story to tell by far is his classic love story which consisted of fate, true love and their forever destiny. On a whim, Jean moved with him to Chicago to pursue his career which led to a life full of adventure that will continue through generations. There is no doubt about it that he did life his way!