Dr. David Ellis

1955 - 2023

Dr. David Ellis

Formerly Sloan, Iowa

Dr. David Ellis, a retired Lt. Col. in the US Air Force and a general practice physician, passed away on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Roberta, Ga., at the age of 68. He was born in Onawa, Iowa, to Howard and Lula Mae Ellis (nee Pfannstiel).

Celebration of Life will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 30, at Sloan Community Building, 423 Evans Street, Sloan. There will be a time of remembrance and fellowship for family and friends.

David had a remarkable career, having served for 35 years between the Air Force and the Army, including active duty from 1984-1988. In 2003, he was deployed to the Middle East and acted as Chief of Aerospace Medicine 940th ARW in the USAF Reserve. He will be particularly remembered as the former Owner of Chico Immediate Care, where he worked from March 17, 1989 - March 1, 2012. There he made a mark on the Northern California community by doing outreach within the community and sponsoring events for sports teams, fun runs, and the local schools.

David was an accomplished scholar, having studied Zoology and Psychology at Iowa State University, where he was part of the Class of 1978, and Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University, where he graduated with the Class of 1983. He went to Westwood High School, where he was part of the Class of 1973.

David met his wife, Brenda Ellis (nee Barrett), while in the army, and they traveled together before getting married on the shores of Lake Tahoe on Sept. 7, 1989. They had two children together, Sarah Ellis (spouse Zach Meyer) in 1990 and Aaron Ellis (spouse Autumn Brunelle) in 1993, both born in Chico, Calif.

David will be remembered as a generally quiet man who loved his family and dreamed of making a difference in people's lives. In 2011, David was diagnosed with throat cancer, which caused him to dial back on working and spend more time with his family. After finishing his cancer treatment, David and Brenda moved to Georgia to be closer to Brenda's family while David returned to the Air Force. During the last chapter of his life, David saw both of his children graduate from prestigious colleges and continue their educations with advanced degrees. He was incredibly proud of both of them and frequently wore their college sweatshirts whenever he had a chance. He also traveled while he could, visiting Costa Rica, France, New Zealand, and Canada for various vacations and trips with his family. David loved movies and old Western TV shows, especially Gunsmoke.

David is survived by his wife, Brenda of Bonaire, Ga.; children Sarah and Zach Meyer and son Theo of Madison, Wis., and Aaron and Autumn Ellis of Bloomington, Ind.; father, Howard and Sharon Ellis of Farmington, Iowa; sisters, Lynda and Roger Otten of Sioux Falls, S.D., Laura and Jim Sailer of Moville, Iowa, and Pamela and Donald Banta of Milford, Iowa; and a host of family and friends, especially nephew Ramsey Jay Jr., and friends Bill and Debbie Wakefield.

David will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him. His legacy as a dedicated physician and serviceman will live on in the lives he touched.