Lee E. Ellis

We are told that there are guidelines, "rules", to writing an obituary, date and location of birth and death, names of relatives, names of surviving family members, etc. So here goes—Lee Edgar Ellis was born in Clark, South Dakota, in October, 1934. He married Carol in Appleton, Wisconsin, in March, 1954. They had three children….this isn't working.

If you knew Lee, you know that he wasn't so much about the "rules" as he was about the living of life. During his last days he showed how he could do both. He followed the rule of saying how much he loved the family that surrounded him and said his goodbyes. He shared their sadness and soothed it at the same time. But then, unexpectedly, he gave them a few more days of life until he peacefully died on November 14, 2013, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Summing up his life is both our privilege and honor. He married Carol, the love of his life, after they found that together they could drive a car - he pushing in the clutch, she moving the shifter. He learned the tire business from his father-in-law, Ray Plamann, and in 1969 (with Carol at his side) purchased Ray's Tire from him. During his business years, he made many friends and enjoyed solving problems for them. Being in the tire business also exposed him to off-road racing. Only in the last few days did his entire family find out that he actually drove a few of these vehicles at the track - (remember, not big on the rules but loved the living life part). He was active in his church and served as a church councilman for a number of years. He was a very social man. It was not unusual to be out of state on a family vacation and run into people that he knew - that fact became something of a family joke. During the last few years, while living at Harmony House, it was not unusual to see him on his scooter greeting everyone he came into contact with. He attempted to brighten the day for everyone.

But family (near and far) was the part of life he cherished the most. He had three children, Tammy (Al) Basten, Gwenn (Dave) Tremble, and David (Becky) Ellis. He loved "protecting" his girls and "adventuring" with his sons. He loved hearing about the accomplishments of his grandchildren no matter how large or how small. He taught the value of hard work and shared the love of life.

For those of you who worked with Lee, you should know that you too were considered family. He loved his work and felt blessed to have spent so much of his life with so many good people. If he were here, he would thank you for letting him "roll" through your lives.

Please join us for a celebration of Lee's life on Monday, November 18, 2013, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 514 S. Clay St., Green Bay. Visitation will start at 12:00pm and will be followed by a funeral service at 1:30pm with Pastor Jon Zabell officiating. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Appleton.

Lee believed in "giving back". In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to St. Paul Lutheran Church & School.

We will miss him, we will remember him, and we will be forever blessed for having him in our lives.