Ella Wynne Phelps

2004 - 2025

Ella Wynne Phelps, 20, of Jacksonville, Fla., passed away peacefully on Jan. 3, 2025, at UF Shands Jacksonville, surrounded by her family. 
On Dec 28, 2024, Ella and her longtime boyfriend, Adrian Landeros, 23, were involved in a motorcycle accident that claimed their lives. Both were wearing helmets and protective riding gear. 
Ella was born on June 7, 2004, in Jacksonville, Fla., to Laran W. Phelps (Higginbotham) and Neil Phelps. She spent her earliest childhood years in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. At the age of 5, Ella and her family relocated to Mt. Shasta, Calif., and then to Ashland, Ore., where they enjoyed a full life of friends and lots of mountain adventures. Ella enjoyed snowboarding, hiking and camping among the picturesque landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.
Ella and her family relocated back to Florida after several years to be closer to family in 2013, at the age of 9. Ella attended Neptune Beach Elementary and, briefly, Fletcher High School. Ella became an active member of the Church of Eleven 22 and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Ella was baptized in a beach ceremony by her father, Neil, and leaders of COE22.
In June of 2017, Ella's father, Neil Phelps, passed away tragically in a motorcycle accident. Her mother, Laran, relocated the family to the Fernandina Beach-Yulee area, and Ella attended Yulee Middle School and Yulee High School. There, she excelled in Science and Language Arts and continued to make many friends.
Ella loved being of service to others and enjoyed helping her father with homeless outreach, making "blessings bags" and distributing food and supplies to the homeless.
Ella was an artist and enjoyed painting and drawing, experimenting with many different medias. She was naturally gifted in art and science. Ella was known for her extensive vocabulary and was very articulate. She loved skateboarding, creating, building, reading, journaling, concerts, festivals and spending time with her boyfriend and their four pets (two dogs and two cats). Ella was a lover and protector. If she loved you, she made it known. She always rooted for the underdogs of the world, the helpless, the needy, the underprivileged. Ella was very hard-working and excelled at every job she ever had and would often end up leading and/or running the place in no time. She was a natural leader with a fierce, honest, kind and loyal personality. 
Ella made long-lasting friendships wherever she went. She left a meaningful impression on people and was a remarkable human being.
Ella leaves behind her devoted mother, Mrs. Laran Phelps-Pullen; beloved sister and best friend, Amelia Phelps; and her adoring and dedicated stepfather, Thomas Pullen, all of Amelia Island, Fla.; grandparents, Deborah Borthwick (Glenn) of Neptune Beach, Fla., and Jan Spottswood (Tom) of Murphy, N.C.; aunt, Mrs. Erin Eiras (CJ) of Jacksonville, Fla.; Barry Higginbotham (Stacey) of Yulee FL; as well as dozens of cousins, extended family members and a huge network of loyal friends. 
Ella is preceded in death by her father, Neil Phelps, of Neptune Beach and her grandfather James B. "Jim" Higginbotham of Fernandina Beach, Fla. 
A private memorial and celebration of Ella's life will be held on Feb. 1, 2025. 
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the GoFundMe established to provide support for Ella's immediate family as they try to go forward and process their grief. Visit
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-larans-family-in-their-time-of-need

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