For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar 

ELLIS, Ronald Douglas - (formerly of Comox and Peachland) died at Sunrise of Lynn Valley, North Vancouver, December 25, 2005. He fought a very short yet courageous battle with cancer and died peacefully with his family at his side. Ron leaves to mourn his children: his son Henry (Elizabeth) of North Vancouver along with their children David of New Zealand, and Christine of North Vancouver; his daughter Diane (Noel) of Dawson Creek and her four children Shanna (Justin) McConnell and great-grandchildren Kaitlyn and Rylan of St. Albert, AB, Danny Quigg of Vermillion, AB, Heather (Troy) Heystek of Mayerthorpe, AB, Colleen (Shannon) French and great-grandchildren Dakota, Tyler, and Zachary all of Didsbury, AB; and his son Stephen (Cathie) and children Iam Talbot of Salt Spring Island, and Alena Talbot-Ellis and Renny Talbot-Ellis of Victoria. He also leaves to mourn his sister Gwen Gammon of Vancouver and brother Owen (Doris) Ellis of Comox. His second wife Gwen and her children Wendy and Wayne of Lone Butte, BC also survive him. He leaves many nephews and nieces - all of whom loved him dearly. He was predeceased by his father George Henry Ellis, and mother Maud Victoria Ellis; his wife Pearl E. I. Ellis who died in 1987; brother G. Henry Ellis and sisters Kathleen Richman and Joan Bell. Ron was born in Prince Albert, SK in 1921 and moved with his family from McDowell, SK to Comox where he lived from 1925 to 1987. His father, George H. Ellis, purchased the Bay Store in 1925 and the Ellis family has been in business in Comox since that time. Ron's passion was working with people from all walks of life. After attending school in Comox, he moved to Vancouver to attend UBC before answering the call to serve his country and joining the navy during the Second World War. He met and married his wife Pearl while they were both stationed in St. John's, Newfoundland. He returned to Comox in 1946 to take over his father's hardware business. In 1952 he was recalled to serve in the Korean War where he served at HMCS Esquimalt. He retired in 1955 and returned to run the Bay Hardware. Ron was one of the founding shareholders of C-CTV (early 1950's), one of the first cablevision companies in Canada. He was the Chairman of Comox Village from 1957 until Comox grew and a Mayor and council were formed. Ron was the first Mayor of Comox and was successfully re-elected until 1974. He then served as a Comox alderman until 1977. He was Chairman of the first Comox-Strathcona Regional District, President of the both Royal Canadian Legion Comox Branch and Comox Golf Course for several terms and was the Comox Hospital Board chairperson for many years. He was involved in many other community organizations during his life in Comox. He owned the Bay Hardware Store in Comox and was a partner with his brother, Owen, in the Comox Shopping Centre. He was made an honourary chief for the Comox Indian Band in 1967. After Pearl's death in 1987, he moved to Peachland, remarried and then moved to Lone Butte in September, 2004. Ron's golf and bridge buddies from the Okanagan will miss him and his sense of humour. Ron had a wonderful love of people, served his community well, and worked hard in his businesses and loved to garden. His motto was to always give back more to the community than he took out and he lived by this motto. He thoroughly enjoyed a game of golf, playing crib and bridge. Ron was a friend to all and had a wonderful sense of humour that carried through to the very last hours of his life. He loved his family and would do everything in his power to spend time with them. In February 2005 Ron suffered a minor stroke and relocated to Sunrise of Lynn Valley in North Vancouver. The family would like to thank every member of the Sunrise staff and Dr. Sugar of North Vancouver for their wonderful care and attention. A celebration of Ron's life will be held Monday, January 2, 2006, 2:00 p.m. at St. Peter's Anglican Church, Comox, B. C. with a reception following at the Comox Golf Course. The family welcomes all of his friends and relatives to join them for this memorial service. Rev. Bob Baillie of Sidney will officiate. Donations would be gratefully received by St. Joseph's Hospital Foundation (Palliative Care), 2137 Comox Avenue, Comox, B.C. V9M 1P2. (The Province 28 Dec 2005)

Ron joined the RCNVR at Esquimalt.  He served at HMCS Stadacona, HMCS Cornwallis, HMCS Avalon. Ron commissioned from the ranks and was appointed to Avalon 16 Feb 1944 as a Prob. SLt, RCNVR. He was appointed to Paym-Lt seniority 24 Nov 1944.  Ron was demobilized after the war but was recalled to duty for the Korean War serving at HMCS Naden in Esquimalt for a SSA (16 Jul 1951 - 15 Jul 1954) as a Lt (S), RCN. Appointed to LCdr (S) seniority 24 Nov 1952.