Ernie Ellis

On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, the streetlights came on, and Robert “Ernie” Ellis went to his true Home. He was a fine 73 years old. There was nothing normal about Ernie, so his obituary shouldn’t be either. If Ernie’s story had a theme, it would be overcoming adversity. He was a boy born into a family that was not very loving, nor kind. As soon as Ernie was old enough to do some odd jobs, he did so to purchase clothing that didn’t come from the army/navy store three sizes too large. We’re not sure his fashion sense improved much more through the years, but at least he tried. Ernie got kicked out of Maplewood High School in Donelson for cutting class, and just generally being a hell-raiser. As his principal walked him out of the school for the last time, he told Ernie that he had two choices in life. He could make his life chicken salad or chicken s***. This statement changed his life, and it was a motto that he would use to make decisions going forward. When Judy Savage Watts first laid eyes on Ernie, he was getting out of a beige station wagon wearing a beige leisure suit with his hair sticking up all over the place. She was mowing the lawn for $2.00 an hour at his floorcovering and design business in Dallas, TX. It was love at first sight, and they never looked back. He insisted on marrying Judy on July 7, 1977 because he was a gambler. Marrying on 7/7/77 had to be lucky, right? He also married a women with 4 children. Judy never got around to telling him they weren’t his. He was a tough, no-nonsense father to Jerri Lynn (Jason) Shaver (Hidden Lake, TX), Weston Scott (Katie) Watts (Eau Claire, WS), Ty Noble (Lisa) Watts (Springfield, TN) and Cody Trey (Adele) Watts (Springfield, TN). He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis most of his life. As a result, he couldn’t teach his boys to properly throw a baseball or a football. He would gather the boys in the backyard, and verbally instruct one of them how to properly throw, and then the other how to catch. Ernie’s mind was brilliant. His penchant for numbers was mind-blowing. He could keep the purchase prices of properties, the cost of insurance and taxes in his mind from year to year - down the penny. He could run numbers through his mind on whether the purchase of a property would turn a profit or not - on the spot. He would make impulsive, life-changing decisions immediately, where most individuals would pour over numbers and use emotions to make a decision. When looking at numbers, he would see answers, and not problems. This made math homework in the household a nightmare for his children. He loved his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren like a fat kid loves cake. There are 12 of them. That’s a bunch of love to give. And he worked really hard to let them all know just how much he cared for them. He was proud of all of them, and each of their special talents. And maybe one of the most important things to share about Ernie’s life is the way he helped people. And he would always give more than was asked. He was interested in other people’s lives, and loved to asked personal questions to get to know them better. One of the best chapters of Ernie’s life happened ten years ago when he gave his life to the Lord. You know, Ernie attended church most of his life, but was just a body in a pew. His life blossomed at this point, and he was richer for it - and the people around him were richer because of his faith in Christ. The last few years had Ernie spending many nights in the hospital at NorthCrest Medical Center. The employees got to know him well, and he made many friends because of his interest in their lives. Ernie helped spread color everywhere he went. His adversity as a young boy propelled him to invest in others and change the course of his path. It’s truly a great story, and would make a good book. If you’d like to do something in Ernie’s memory, you might want to carry on his motto (it’s a memorable one), or maybe make one up of your own. Buy someone’s meal at a restaurant, and don’t tell them you did it. Purchase the coffee for the car behind you at Starbuck’s or Dunkin’s. Or make a donation to the charity of your choice. Or you could make a donation to the Robertson County CASA. You could also stop reading right here, and open up your Bible to Revelation 21:3-4. That would be a good way to celebrate a pretty darn good life.

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