James Lilburne "Jim, Peck" Ellis

James Ellis Obituary

Ellis, James "Jim or Peck" Lilburne
82, of Phoenix, Arizona passed away on December 18, 2010. He was predeceased by his wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Betty Jean Woodrow; and was survived by three children, John Ellis, Jesse Marcos, and James Ellis, II; 12 grandchildren, 16 great grand-children and 5 great-great-grandchildren. He was born August 5, 1928 in Cleburne, Texas as the 5th of eight children raised by Joseph and Juanita Ellis. He is survived by sisters, Martha Dobbs and Sarah Lewis. He grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from Polytechnic High School and enlisted in the U. S. Army during WWII. After serving his country and being honorably discharged in 1947, he started a long career with the U. S. Post Office, working his way up from the mail room, to railway mail clerk and finally airline mail logistics. He earned many awards from both the airlines and the Postal Service for his many achievements and improvement of the air mail service. He retired in 1982. As a way of honoring the great service provided by the Masons to his hospitalized brother as a youth, Jim became an avid participant in that organization and earned the 32nd degree. Jim was a great sports enthusiast, competing in football and baseball in school and after graduation in softball and golf. Golf became his passion, first working as a caddie at Meadowbrook Golf Course (where he was also employed as a lifeguard) and at Colonial Country Club where he was specially honored to carry for the legendary Ben Hogan. Later on, he earned his PGA Professional license, playing in many tournament events throughout his life and working as a teaching pro at Encanto, Maryvale and Sun City golf courses. Not only did he coach his own children for many years but he also volunteered his time and knowledge, for years after, to coach many other Phoenix teams from girls softball to American Legion baseball. Jim will always be remembered by his friends, family and the many people he mentored throughout his life, for his loyalty, his generosity with his time, and his great sense of humor. He was a man of enormous passion, who loved his wife and children with all his heart; a man with an extraordinary work ethic who always worked two or three jobs to provide for his family; and a man who understood his greatest job was in the nurturing, coaching and teaching of his children and grandchildren. So that his many loved ones can honor him, a "Celebration of Jim's Life" will be held, in August, 2012, in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of the annual Ellis Family Reunion. Memorials can be addressed to "CRC Foundation, Cosumnes River College, 8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95823-5799" as an endowment for the "Jim and Betty Ellis Architectural Scholarship".

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Published by The Arizona Republic from Dec. 25 to Dec. 26, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for James Ellis

6 Entries

Joanie Tapley

January 7, 2011

John, I have so enjoyed reading your recollections of Uncle Peck. I wish I could have known him better, he was so special to mine and Luannes dad, Luke. I look forward to the family reunion so that we can celebrate his life and spend time with you all. Love, Joanie

John Ellis

January 6, 2011

Thanks Martha, Shari and Luanne for the great remembrances. I wanted to add a few more recollections so here goes:
Dad and Athletics
As his obituary says, dad was always a great sports enthusiast. My earliest recollections of his coaching started when I was about 4 or 5 with him trying to transform me into a right-hander (at our doctor’s urging) by restricting my left hand. That worked but he forgot to change my kicking leg which used to confuse opponents when, as a high school quarterback, I punted and kicked extra points left footed. A year or two later he taught me to high jump our wire mesh fence by teaching me to “western roll” into grass clippings that he dumped on the other side of the fence every time he mowed the yard. At about that same time is when he first introduced me to his real passion for golf at the Sycamore Park nine-hole course. That became our strongest shared passion for the rest of his life…he only taught me a swing good enough that I rarely was able to beat him. I used to shag balls for him at Glen Park Elementary which was across the street from our house on Moberly in Fort Worth. He hit wedges and I would catch them bare-handed. Soon after we moved to Phoenix in 1958, dad began running the Encanto Short Nine golf course and when I wasn’t in school, he would take me there at about 5 in the morning, give me lessons when he had a break and we would go home after dark. I think he still holds the course record there of 23 on a par 30 course. Dad continued to play in tournaments into his seventies. Some of the funniest family stories came from playing the Woodchopper Tournament in Fort Worth with his brother Bob.
I remember, when I was a freshman at West High, most days, my great friend, David Nelson and I would cut across the course on the way to David’s house on Encanto Boulevard. We would stop by to see dad in the pro shop. One day, David and I were walking about quarter mile away when a carload of young thugs yelled something at us and we, stupidly, said something about their mother. They did a screeching 180 degree turn which sent David and I running back to the pro shop for the protection of my father. While these 4 guys boldly followed us out of the parking lot into the pro shop, David and I shouted out desperately to my father for help only to find him pulling up his pants while leaving a toilet stall. That sight and his confrontational manner was enough to send these guys into retreat. David and I cowered behind him ready to help when needed!

One of my fondest memories, and probably one that got me interested in competing, was watching dad play fast-pitch softball on several teams in Fort Worth. Families would go out to the games to root on their dad’s and all the little kids would play catch or chase around the foul areas. When we finally made our way to Phoenix via Albuquerque, dad began to coach all of us in everything, football, baseball, basketball, softball and, of course, golf. We spent countless hours playing across the street at Alhambra High School, where he taught us how to shoot baskets, pass and kick, catch fly balls and there were countless neighborhood games. Later on, when we were in high school competing, mom and dad never missed a game…they were the greatest sports fans. When I was at the Air Force Academy, dad brought the whole family from Phoenix to watch us play Army in the snow. Jesse and dad (in his Maryvale Golf Course windbreaker) kept running to the restrooms to warm up but they stuck it out for the whole game. He even came to our sons, Jason and Brandon, high school football and basketball games in Sacramento, California. Even after all of us grew older, he continued to coach teams in the Phoenix area. Dad gave all of his kids the love of athletics and it his legacy that we passed on to our children as well. Last week, while visiting in Phoenix, I stopped by the Encanto Short Nine to play nine holes of golf in dad’s memory…his presence there was profound. We love you dad!

Shari Turner

January 3, 2011

We are sending out our love and prayers to you all. We will miss Uncle Peck and his wonderful sense of humor. I love thinking back on our Christmas memories as kids and I remember so many Christmas days we spent with everyone...lots of really good food, card tables surrounded with the Ellis boys playing domino games, football in the street, lots of laughter and lots of love. I loved the closeness of this big family and thank God for placing me in this family, I can't imagine my childhood holidays any other way. Uncle Peck always had something to say to make me laugh when he was around. I remember when we moved to Denver, Colorado and we were all really missing Fort Worth and then Mom told us Uncle Peck was going to come live with us for a little while. We were so excited and loved being able to spend time with Uncle Peck, he made us forget our homesick blues with his Ellis humor and big smile. Uncle Peck and Aunt Betty were wonderful people to be around and I am honored to have been a part of their lives. We look forward to the Ellis reunion to help honor them. All our love, Shari, Steve, Sara, and Anna Turner

Luanne Ellis Daves

January 1, 2011

Uncle Peck's Family; Joanie and I are so saddended by the loss of Uncle Peck. He, along with the other Ellis boys were all so handsome and fun to be with. We look forward to the August "Gathering" as we celebrate and remember your parents. By the way, Joanie & I live in McCurtain County in OK. We could have something here to honor your Mom's name if you'd like. We love you all; you are in our prayers.Brenda, Sissy, Tom-Tom, Shari, Steve, Aunt Sarah and Sarah and Anna came for Thanksgiving. We wouldn't take for the time we had together. We need to keep the torch going as were are such a "Fun" family--but, Brenda will have to make the cornbread, don't ask, just let her have her way. Love you much, Luanne

Martha Dobbs

December 31, 2010

John, Jesse, Bubbi and (Betty Jean in Spirit)

I'm sure you all know how very much O. D. and I loved your dad. They both, as well as Bob, loved the game of golf. I don't know who told the most honest golf stories. Don't you know they are really at it now, having a blast. Peck, O. D. and Greenwood graduated together at Poly High School in 1946. Peck and O. D. were best friends before O. D. and I ever met. The stories they told me, as teenagers, were unbelieveable but uplifting.

I remember as a kid, Sara and I went to Meadowbrook Golf course to swim and have fun but my precious brother, Peck,who was the lifeguard saw to it that he was in full control. He loved throwing me in the deepest part of the pool and said sink or swim. Well, I never learned to swim because I was so terrified as a result of being tossed in that deep water. Well, somehow, I survived.

After O. D. passed away on July 26, 2006, Bob invited me and Dub to go with him to visit Peck at Bella Vista, AK. We had such a good time although that five hour trip turned into a ten hour trip (thanks to Bob the navigator). That's O.K. as we talked and laughed all the way and we so enjoyed our visit with Peck.

I will really miss your dad, my last brother, but John, I'll never forget our talk about your adoption and the big hug you gave me and said " thank you for being such a good aunt". You, Jesse, Bubbi and your families are very precious to me and I was so happy to meet Cindy in Phoenix on November 22, 2009 for your Mom's celebration of life. That was awesome.

Love to all,

Aunt Martha

John Ellis

December 25, 2010

I wanted to share a few stories about my dad’s life and also to let all the family members know that the “Celebration of Jim’s Life” will be held at the Ellis Reunion in August 2011, not 2012 as was written in the obituary.

Mom and Dad’s Love
One of the necessary tasks that we have been taking care of, since my mother’s passing in October, 2009 and now my dad’s, is the collecting of the family photos and letters that record the web of their lives, what Shakespeare described as "a mingled yarn, good and ill together." These are my observations and recollections, which are suspect at best, so please feel free to edit any of these remembrances with the “truth”. My mom and dad’s life together began as teenagers. The Ellis and McCurtain families lived near each other in the Meadowbrook area of Fort Worth, Texas. My mom’s brother, Greenwood, and my dad were best friends, teammates at Fort Worth Poly and just all-around mischief makers. That connection got my dad in the back door of the McCurtain family and, even though my mom was four years older, I suspect this is where the affection began to develop. My mother enlisted in the Navy in 1944 when she was 20 years old, became pregnant while stationed in Florida, and gave birth to me in September of 1945. Recently, my sister Jesse and I found some old letters from dad expressing his love for this young mother and his willingness to accept me as his son. What an extraordinary commitment by a mature 17 year old. Jim and Betty soon married, my dad adopted me, and they lived that “mingled yarn, good and ill together” until they divorced in 1979. I am grateful to this man who never wanted me to know that I was adopted (I never told him I found the adoption papers when I was 19) and who always made me feel loved and cared for. My dad married his second wife Norma later in 1979 and they had a loving marriage until Norma’s passing in 2005. Through a series of circumstances my mom and dad reconnected in 2007, rediscovered their love for each other, and remarried in 2008. Even with all the ordeals they both had gone through, they couldn’t have been any happier in those last two years. It was a great story of enduring love. I will add more stories later.

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