John Ellis

On the 25th day of July, 2015, with his family at his bedside, John Russell Ellis, of Olathe, Kansas, was called home to be with his Heavenly Father after a long battle with Cancer. John is survived by his loving wife of over 47 years, Terrianne Ellis and by two of his three children, Shane Ellis and Kristi Ellis; John's middle child, Scott, preceeded John in death. John is also survived by his four grandchildren, Colten, Kaitlyn, Connor, and Alex. John was very close to his loving cousin, Virginia Walker and is survived by Virginia and her children and grandchildren, whom he loved dearly. He is also survived by two of his three siblings, Charles and Donald, having been predeceased by his sister, Ruth.

Born in August of 1946, in the town of Mexico, Missouri, John Russell Ellis was the 3rd child of Richard and Mary Ellis. The family later moved to Emporia, Kansas where John graduated from the Emporia High School and in August of 1968 married Terrianne Wright.

As a young man, John joined the National Guard and served as a Combat Engineer and CBR Specialist. He and Terrianne began their life together in Fort Carson, Colorado and then after being Honorably Discharged from the National Guard, they relocated to Johnson County, Kansas where John started his career in the Building Trades industry. John was a very talented and skilled Carpenter, who was quickly promoted to Foreman and later Superintendent for multiple commercial projects. He was a Business Representative for the Carpenters District Council of Kansas City and was an instructor at the Carpenter's Apprenticeship School for thirteen years.

John was a devoted father, grandfather, bass fisherman and classic car enthusiast. When his children were young, he coached them in sports and worked with his sons to restore classic cars for their 16th birthdays. He enjoyed participating in bass fishing tournaments and enjoyed them even more when he placed well, which he did often.

After retiring once from the building industry, John found himself driven to continue to move forward professionally. He joined Guide One/ Taylor Ball as a project manager and traveled the country to rebuild churches. He enjoyed bringing his wife and grandchildren to visit him in the different cities where he worked.

As an avid classic car enthusiast, John enjoyed restoring muscle cars to their former glory. After retiring for the second time, John worked to restore a beautiful 1967 Camaro SS. This bright Camaro Orange gem was a wonderful hobby for John and he was not content to stop his restoration until the car was even better than when it was brand new. He and Terrianne enjoyed many Sunday drives together.


John will be greatly missed by his family and friends.






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