Gary James Ellison October 21, 1951 ~ April 27, 2024 (age 72)

Funeral services for Gary Ellison, 72, of Portales, will be held at 1:00 PM, Sat., May 4, 2024 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Don Thomas officiating.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Ron Roberts, Donnie Roberts, Monte Roberts, Alan Roberts, Mickey Morgan and Jerry Rose serving as pallbearers.  All of his cousins along with his many friends will be honorary pallbearers.  There will be a time for fellowship announced to follow after the graveside committal.

Gary James Ellison was born Oct. 21, 1951, in Clovis, to the home of Oneida Rolene (Roberts) and Jimmie J. Ellison and died on Sat., April 27, 2024 in Portales.  Gary loved playing baseball through his school years.  He was a left handed pitcher.  He graduated from Portales High School in 1970.  While he was in high school, Gary and some friends formed a band, and he was the lead singer.  Following graduation, he attended a school in Denver where he learned to paint cars.  For a period of time he lived in Amarillo where he worked as a house painter.  He returned to Portales for awhile before moving to the Philippines.  While he and his companion, Debbie, were living there, they adopted a baby boy.  When he returned to the US, he settled in California, where he lived for several years.  Gary’s next place of residence was in West Virginia.  From there he returned to Portales, and began working for the City in the Street Department.  He had been retired for a few years at the time of his death.

Gary was a very pleasant person to visit with.  He suffered with COPD, so he limited his activities, but he enjoyed visiting with several of his friends at coffee, and striking up conversations wherever he went.  Gary loved to laugh, and his conversations were always filled with smiles and chuckles.  He was devoted to his family, and kept up with all of them on Facebook, and by email and phone.  He was one of 19 cousins, all of whom survive him.  Gary was a Greenbay Packers fan, and a member of the Third and Kilgore Church of Christ.  Gary loved cats, and his special ones were Crystal, Pepper, Sammy, Lucky and Mom.

He is survived by his son, Ira Gerome Ellison of Clarksburg, WV; two granddaughters, Paisley and Harper Ellison, and his sister, and brother-in-law, Jana and Wayne Osborn of Lovington, NM.  He was preceded in death by both of his parents.

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