James F. "Fred" Ellas

James F. (Fred) Ellas passed away on Tuesday, December 14th, 2021. Fred was born on December 5, 1936, in Newark, Ohio as the only child of the late Edward B. and Hazel M. Ellas. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022 at 2:00 pm at Jamestown Presbyterian Church, in Jamestown with Pastor Jay officiating. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 12:30 until 2:00 pm at the church.

Fred was educated in the Newark Public Schools and graduated from Newark High School in 1954. He attended Ohio University and graduated with a BSC degree in 1962. He also served two years (9/58 thru 8/60) active duty in the Army at Ft. Knox. KY and served four years in the Army Reserve.

Fred married Brenda McDonald on August 19, 1961, at the Second Baptist Church of Newark. They had five sons. Their oldest son, Joey, passed away in 1972 at the age of nine. Surviving are Douglas of Westerville, OH; William (Andrea) of Kernersville, NC; Edward N. (Cynthia) of Thomasville, NC; and Gary (Corrie) of High Point, NC. Fred is survived by four grandchildren, (Amber, Emily-Anne, Joshua and Hannah Ellas) and three great-grandchildren, (Shayleigh, Savannah, and David Luster, III)

Most of Fred’s working life consisted of 33 years with AT&T. The first 25 years he worked at the Western Electric Plant in Columbus, OH, and then he was transferred to the Guilford Center in Greensboro, NC, for the last 8 years. He retired from AT&T in 1995. Brenda and Fred delivered mobile meals in the Jamestown area for more than 10 years after his retirement. During his life, he was active in the First Presbyterian Church of Newark, the Shady Lane Presbyterian Church of Columbus and The Jamestown Presbyterian Church of Jamestown, NC.

Fred was an avid sports fan and as Brenda said “you can take the man out of Ohio but you can’t take Ohio out of the man”. He was still a big Buckeye, Reds, and Indians fan after living in North Carolina for over 30 years. When his sons were growing up, he was active as a coach in the baseball organizations where they played.

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution, to Jamestown Presbyterian Church.

Online condolences may be made at www.haneslineberryfhsedgefield.com.