Ellis Ellison

Dr. Ellis Ellison

Dr. Ellis Ellison, a retired ear nose and throat doctor and passionate family man, died Saturday in San Mateo of complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 94.

He is survived by four children, Dr. Jean Milofsky, Dr. Jim Ellison, Dr. David Ellison, and Katherine Ellison, plus eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was immensely proud that three of his children followed him into medicine and the fourth became a journalist and author.

Ellis, who himself was the son of a medical doctor, grew up in Minneapolis, Minn., and practiced there for several years before moving to California in 1961. He loved being a doctor, working hard and also playing hard, at golf, backgammon, chess and dominos. But he showed where his heart was with the funny, teasing, and sometimes bawdy poems he wrote for birthdays, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs, and weddings.

Many of his poems were tributes to his wife Bernice, a college beauty queen and elementary school teacher who passed away last year, three months after the couple celebrated their seventieth anniversary. Years earlier, on her 80th birthday, he wrote:


"From age seventeen
(That's when I first met her)
My amazing Bernice
Just gets better and better,
Her wardrobe should last
'Til she greets her divinity
No new clothes required
From here to infinity!"



Ellis frequently wrote about how lucky he felt to be a "small town doctor," married to Bernice, and full of pride in his family. On his 80th birthday, he wrote:


"Suffice it to say, I wouldn't want it over
Most of my life's been spent rolling in clover—
And now with the "finals" impending
Time's "of the essence" this close to the ending
Best not to squander what's left
I'd rather spend the time seeking worthwhile goals
Observing the doughnuts, ignoring the holes.
That's at least my intention for now!"


He will be greatly missed. But he specifically said he didn't want a memorial. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Mission Hospice. The Ellison family is indebted to two amazing caregivers who became beloved friends: Ellis' hospice physician, Dr. Gary Pasternak, and Alma Lagula.