Donald W. Ellison, Lt. Col USAF (Ret)
September 9, 1923 ~ May 7, 2020
Donald W. Ellison, Lt. Col. USAF (Ret)
Lt. Col. Donald Warren Ellison was born on September 9, 1923, in Elmira, New York, the son of Chauncey and Edna Cox Ellison. He spent his boyhood in several upstate New York towns where his father served as a Methodist Minister. Lt. Col. Ellison dedicated his life to serving others, first volunteering for the Army at the start of WWII, where he served in Europe and concluded with a stint as a switchboard operator at the Nuremberg War Trials. He met his wife, Mary Ann (Ann) Hamilton while stationed at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. He left for Germany in early 1945, returning in 1946 when they became engaged and married. After completing a BS in aeronautical engineering from Tri-State College and a MPA from Cornell, he served as an Air Force Officer, with a primary focus on the space program, retiring in 1970. Don worked for the Federal Government, first at EPA and then with the Coast Guard. He was also active in his community, serving over 42 years in various roles at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church, in Vienna Virginia, the Civil Air Patrol, the Vienna Choral Society, and Gideons International.
Lt. Col. Ellison is survived by his sister and brother-in-law Peggy and Gordon Couch and predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law Eugene and Augusta Ellison. He leaves behind his four children: Martha Ellison of Baltimore MD; Donald Ellison, Jr. and his wife Tracy Councill of Richmond, VA; David Ellison and his wife Dena Davis Ellison of Fairfax VA; Richard Ellison of Nutley NJ; his 8 granddaughters: Beth Yingling Powell, Aimee Yingling Ciszek, Alita Davis McCaleb, Kathy Ellison, Grace Ellison, Molly Ellison, L.A. Mars and Kristy Ellison; and great grandsons: Max McCaleb, Marek Ciszek, and Rhys Ciszek.
Memorial Service for Donald W. Ellison and Mary Ann Ellison will be at 1 PM, April 6, 2024, at Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church, 1301 Trap Road, Vienna, VA 22182. Donations may be made in Donald and Mary Ann’s name to Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church and The Gideons International.
Services
Memorial Service: April 6, 2024 1:00 pm
Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church
1301 Trap Road
Vienna, VA 22182
703-759-3509
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2024-04-06 13:00:00
2024-04-06 13:00:00
DonaldW.Ellison, Lt. Col USAF (Ret)Memorial Service
Memorial Service
1301 Trap Road,Vienna, VA 22182
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Charities
The family greatly appreciates donations made to these charities in Donald W. Ellison, Lt. Col USAF (Ret) 's name.
Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church
The Gideons International
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Thank you for letting friends in Tullahoma know if your parents passing. Tulkahoma has been greatly served and enriched by Air Force families living in our community. We are thankful that they touched our lives and continue to remember the time they spent with us. They were the same age as my parents, Nancy and Nat Washburn, and I’m sure they knew them and perhaps my sisters Betty and Mary Loved reading their stories. Ann Washburn Lester. Tullahoma First Methodist