Joseph Brown "J.B." Ellis Jr.

Joseph Brown “J.B.” Ellis Jr., 75, of Panama City Beach, Fla., passed away Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005, at his home. He had been a lifelong resident of the Panama City Beach area and a resident of Decatur, Ala., from 1971 until 1997.
Mr. Ellis was a member of the Bay Point Yacht Club, St. Andrew Mardi Gras Krewe, Elks Club of Decatur, Parrot Head Club, Red Elephant Club of Panama City, Panama City and Panama City Beach Dance Clubs and an ambassador for the Beaches Chamber of Commerce.
He enjoyed fishing and used to be a deckhand for his uncle, Capt. Curtis Ware. Mr. Ellis had a great affiliation with musicians in the area, as he and his wife went dancing quite often.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Muriel Ellis of Panama City Beach; his children, Cecilia Adams and her husband, Rick, of Neptune Beach, Fla., Stephen Cox of Hartselle, and Alicia Cox and her husband, Jerry, and Angela Griffin and her husband, Russ, all of Decatur; his brother, John Ray Ellis and his wife, Patti, of Bay Point, Fla.; his grandchildren, Virginia “Gina,” Laura, Melissa, Ann, Haley, Michael, Russell and Thomas; and his great-grandchildren, Wiley and Wesley.
He was preceded in death by his son, Wiley Rutledge Cox.
Memorial services will be held Monday, Dec. 12, 2005, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Bernadette Catholic Church with Father Ted Sosnowski.
Asked to serve as honorary pallbearers are Roy Boone, Randy Couch, Ted Knight, Billy Wells, Dick Parish, Cicero Garner, Oliver Rogers, Rob Lienhop, Babe Mancuso, A.I. Christo, Walter “Sparky” Sparkman, Mitchell Dean, Allen Page, Jim Smallwood, Crook Stewart, Fred Haines, Jerry Welch, John Christo, Lin Tung, Greg Moore, James Williams, Bob Nolan, Dwain Gooch and the Bay Point Yacht Club Commodores.
Contributions may be made in J.B.’s memory to your favorite charity.
Kent-Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 2403 Harrison Ave., Panama City, FL 32405, (850) 763-4694.