Leroy W. Ellis

Services for Leroy W. Ellis, 84, of Mentor, will be at 7 PM on Monday, August 12, 2013 at Davis-Babcock Funeral Home, 4154 Clark Avenue, Willoughby. The family will receive friends from 5-7 PM on Monday, prior to the service.

Mr. Ellis passed away Friday, August 9, 2013 in Mentor.

Born August 24, 1928 in Cleveland, he was a lifelong Northeast Ohio resident.

He served briefly in both the United States Air Force and Army, and was an active member of Mentor Heisley Racquet and Fitness Club. He loved to ride his bicycle, work out, work on his 1977 Pontiac Grand Prix, and attend classic cars shows. He was also an avid Harley-Davidson fan and loved nature and the outdoors. Most importantly, he was a devoted family man. His family requests that in honor of Leroy, you join us in one last cruise to the funeral home in your classic car or on your motorcycle on Monday.

Mr. Ellis was employed as a brakeman at the Collinwood Yards, retiring from Conrail after 50 years of service from a job he truly loved.

Survivors are his wife of 61 years, Betty (Rife) Ellis; daughters, Roxanne (John) Allen, Sandra Pettit, Nancy Hodgson, Linda Ellis and Julie Olsen (fiancé, Gary Blankenship); 10 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and 5 great-great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Leona Ellis; brothers, Earl “Norman” and Frank Ellis and his son-in-law, Don Pettit.