John Durwood Ellett

Funeral services celebrating the life of Mr. John Durwood Ellett, 92, of West Monroe, Louisiana, will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, February 20, 2026, at First Methodist Church Monroe, with Rev. Brian Mercer officiating. Interment will follow at Hasley Cemetery under the direction of Mulhearn Funeral Home, West Monroe.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 P.M. in the First Methodist Parlor until service time at the church.

John was born September 26, 1933, in Monroe, Louisiana, to Durwood X. Ellett and Mary Munholland Ellett. His parents met and married in New York City before returning south to Ouachita Parish to join Mary’s relatives in the West Monroe home that would remain central to John’s life. He passed away peacefully on February 12, 2026, in the same family home where he had grown up.

He graduated from Neville High School in 1951 and went on to Louisiana Tech University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and later a Master’s degree in Physics. While working toward his master’s degree, he taught a physics lab, where he met one of his students, Jane Elizabeth Teer. They married in 1966, beginning a lifelong partnership built on faith, family, and shared adventures.

John began his engineering career with General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas. In 1972, he and Jane moved back to Monroe so he could work for Ford, Bacon & Davis. In the early 1980s, his interest in the emerging world of computers led him to co-found Ouachita Computer Systems. He later returned to Ford, Bacon & Davis before joining RSH Engineering shortly after its founding, where he worked as a Controls and Systems Engineer until his retirement in 2015.

John was a lifetime member of First Methodist Church in Monroe and an active member of the Friendship Class, who were an integral part of his faith and friendships.

He and Jane shared many adventures together. John held his pilot’s license, and they spent many weekends participating in the Louisiana and Texas Air Tours, enjoying both the skies and the friends they made along the way. They also traveled around the world, and his avid photography filled many albums and videotapes with memories of their journeys.

In his spare time, John dabbled in horticulture. During the 1970s and early 1980s, he was an active member of the American Rose Society, where he specialized in miniature roses. He enjoyed competing in local shows, sharing advice with fellow gardeners, and published an article on roses. When he and Jane moved back into his childhood home, his focus expanded to cross-pollinating daylilies and grafting trees.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Jane Elizabeth Teer Ellett; his parents, Durwood X. Ellett and Mary Munholland Ellett; and his sister, Joe Marie Hanna.

He is survived by his children: David Ellett and wife Katrina of New Caney, Texas; Diana Butler and husband Tom of Brentwood, Tennessee; and Darin Ellett and wife Stephanie of West Monroe, Louisiana. He is also survived by his grandchildren: Shawn Pritchett; Jordan Pritchett and wife Yolanda; Madeline Butler; Megan Butler; Meredith Ellett; and Melody Ellett; and great-grandchildren Isabella, Sergio, and Cristian Pritchett.

Pallbearers will be Don Adams, Brian Guidry, Fred Hill, Anthony Jackson, Jordan Pritchett, and Jim Wilson. Honorary pallbearers include the members of the Friendship Class and the founders and staff of RSH Engineering.

The family would like to extend special thanks to the staff and team at Serenity Care Providers and Elara Caring, who made his last few years a delight with many games of Uno and trips for sunshine and ice cream.