Paul Ellis Obituary

Paul Ellis was my uncle. We Lived on Early Road in rural Lima. I was very young when he quit high school to join the Navy after Pearl Harbor. I recall him being stationed at the Great lakes Naval station and coming home on furlough before being assigned to The Fighting Lady which was the USS Yorktown. My parents were in the process of marital breakup and I went to live with my grandparents. My Grandpa was Paul's father, married to my grandma. When he returned after the war he brought me a small Japanese flag and a book on the war and the role of the Yorktown in heavy fighting. There was a movie made about the Yorktown called "The Fighting Lady" which we saw at the Quilna Theatre in Lima. Featured in the film was a small dog which was on the ship during the war. Paul, his father, George Ellis, my grandmother and I Lived at 723 Early Road ( now Bluelick Road). Paul and his buddy Chuck got jobs at Ohio Power in Lima after the war. I graduated from Elida High School in 1957. Paul was instrumental in my school success, picking me up after practices...I was heavily involved in sports and music and constantly in need of rides. Paul was my driver. After high school, I went off to Wittenberg College, graduated in 1961 and never went home. Paul married Wanda and they lived for a time in the old house. Later, Paul received a big promotion and moved the family back to Findlay. As it turned out, I returned to Ohio to attend the memorial service for my high school football coach and I planned to visit my mom in a Findlay nursing home. While driving down Main Street I saw a sign that I remembered from long ago...it said "EATS". I stopped for breakfast. There were a group of townies seated around a table. One of them was Paul. That was the last time I saw him. We had a nice reunion. I have many pictures from my youth with Paul and the house he and grandpa built in Lima. Happy to share what I have. I live on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts...email address is [email protected].

I did not have the pleasure of knowing Paul Ellis but my father, Bernard Robert Frazier, also was on the USS Yorktown. My father was on "The Fighting Lady" at the Battle of Midway. Maybe they knew each other?
Thank you, Mr. Ellis, for your service to our country. Bless the family in this time of loss.
Maria Frazier Laing

So very sorry about the loss of your dear father Mike. He was such a kind and gentle person and have so many fond memories of him when I was younger.
Praying for you and your family during this difficult time.
God bless you all.