Vernon Wesley Ellis

Wes Ellis departed this earth on Tuesday, May 17th and is now at peace.  He was born in San Antonio, TX on November 24^th, 1936, the son of Robert Vernon and Josephine Wimer Ellis.

Wes graduated from Edison High School in San Antonio in 1954 and received his undergraduate degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering from Texas A&I University, Kingsville, TX, in 1960. He was a proud Registered Professional Engineer.

Wes married Shirley Anne Bryan Ellis in 1956 and upon degree completion, was commissioned in the US Army and spent the next 6 months on active duty.  Wes continued his military service and retired in 1983 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves.

Upon completion of his military obligation, Wes returned to the oil field in 1961, where he and Shirley Anne lived throughout Texas and Louisiana, settling in Mineral Wells in 1967.  Wes worked for Perry Equipment Corporation, Dallas Production Corporation and Rick Williamson Oilfield Production over the next 46 years.

Wes was active in the local community, serving as a little league baseball coach, Assistant Scoutmaster, an active Rotarian and recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow, member of the Palo Pinto County Water Board and Treasurer of the Ft Worth Shrine.

Wes was a man of great faith and was a loyal, longstanding member of the Mineral Wells First Presbyterian Church, serving on the session multiple times, an elder and Chairman of the Building Committee that built the current sanctuary on Northwest 4^th Avenue.  He also served on numerous committees with Fort Worth Grace Presbytery USA, including the committee that established the first Presbyterian Night Shelter in Fort Worth.

Wes was an avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing and passed that passion on to his family.  His proudest moments were spent with his grandchildren, teaching them to fish.

Wes if survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Shirley Anne, his brother Charles “Doug” Ellis of New Braunfels, TX, his son COL (Ret) Bryan Ellis and wife Lorna of Kingsland, TX, daughter Dee Anne and husband COL (Ret) Frank Richie of Dumfries, VA, granddaughter Kylee Ellis of Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii and grandsons LT Austin Ellis of Ft Drum, NY and Bryan Richie of Ft Worth, TX.

Pallbearers are COL (Ret) Bryan Ellis, COL (Ret) Frank Richie, LT Austin Ellis, Bryan Richie and Sam Hickey.

Honorary pallbearers are Steve Herbst, Charles “Chuck” Hunnicutt and Darrell Lewallen.

A special thanks to Wes’s caregivers, who showed great compassion and treated him like family – Jeannie McMinn, Marguerite McLaughlin and Timmberly Simmons.

Funeral services will be 2 PM Saturday, May 21, 2022 at First Presbyterian Church with burial following at Woodland Park Cemetery. The family invites everyone to lunch starting at 12 noon in the fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the First Presbyterian Church, Mineral Wells, Shriners Children’s Hospital of Texas or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America.

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