GilbertNixonEllis, known to his friends and family as Tippie, passed away on Friday, March 6, 2015 at age 63 due to heart complications.
Tippie, one of five children, was born January 27, 1951 to the late Suella Gilbert and Purmon Walter Ellis. Tippie attended Jennie Dean Regional School until his 9th grade year when desegregation moved him to Osbourn High School where he graduated in 1969. Tippie went on to attend Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee where he played football, maintained a 4.0 grade point average and became a member of Mensa. After college Tippie went to work as a chemist at Atlantic Research in Manassas.
Tippie loved food and frozen drinks especially Chinese food and KFC's Baja Blast. No sweets were safe around him either whether candy, pie or pastry! Tippie also continued his love of sports playing flag football, basketball and softball with many of his friends including Ronnie Pannell and Pete Sprow in the men's league in Prince William County.
Tippie was preceded in death by his parents Suella ("Toot") and Purmon ("Coach Ellis") and one brother Vince Barto (Tiny) Ellis. Tippie leaves to mourn his loss one daughter: Aimee Harris of Manassas; one sister: Toni Ellis Pannell (TeeGee) of Manassas; two brothers: Purmon Walter Ellis II (Topper) of Maryland and Zarko Lance Ellis (Tico) of Pennsylvania; three first cousins: Margaret Black of Maryland, Therean Thomas of Washington and Marzella Allen of Tennessee; ten nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives.
Your quiet, gentle, fun-loving spirit is gone from our lives,
leaving us with the loss of another of the five T's,
but we will always remember you and love you.
Diana Cox (Monroe) (1969)
Gilbert Nixon Ellis, known to his friends and family as Tippie, passed away on Friday, March 6, 2015 at age 63 due to heart complications.
Tippie, one of five children, was born January 27, 1951 to the late Suella Gilbert and Purmon Walter Ellis. Tippie attended Jennie Dean Regional School until his 9th grade year when desegregation moved him to Osbourn High School where he graduated in 1969. Tippie went on to attend Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee where he played football, maintained a 4.0 grade point average and became a member of Mensa. After college Tippie went to work as a chemist at Atlantic Research in Manassas.
Tippie loved food and frozen drinks especially Chinese food and KFC's Baja Blast. No sweets were safe around him either whether candy, pie or pastry! Tippie also continued his love of sports playing flag football, basketball and softball with many of his friends including Ronnie Pannell and Pete Sprow in the men's league in Prince William County.
Tippie was preceded in death by his parents Suella ("Toot") and Purmon ("Coach Ellis") and one brother Vince Barto (Tiny) Ellis. Tippie leaves to mourn his loss one daughter: Aimee Harris of Manassas; one sister: Toni Ellis Pannell (TeeGee) of Manassas; two brothers: Purmon Walter Ellis II (Topper) of Maryland and Zarko Lance Ellis (Tico) of Pennsylvania; three first cousins: Margaret Black of Maryland, Therean Thomas of Washington and Marzella Allen of Tennessee; ten nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives.
Your quiet, gentle, fun-loving spirit is gone from our lives,
leaving us with the loss of another of the five T's,
but we will always remember you and love you.
TeeGee, Topper and Tico
Joanna Mallard (Wood) (1969)