Ron Ellis (Passed away 17 Mar 2016)

In loving memory of Ron Ellis who sadly passed away on 17th March 2016
Ron Ellis was born 15/10/1927, in Gloucester on a estate called the white city.
He had two brothers and two sisters, one of whom sadly died at the age of 19 yrs.
His first job was in a furniture factory, were he met is future wife Mary.
Ron joined the royal engineers at the age of 18 yrs old.
Trained in Scotland, then was moved to Swindon G W R were he looked after Italian prisoners of war loading supplies
into railway wagons.
Dad told me that because of the language barrier, to make the prisoner under stand different jobs, they used song lyrics of Johnny Mercer and sung by Perry Como
The one for covering the loaded wagon with tarpaulin was, Accentuate the Positive, and to remove the tarpaulin was,
eliminate the negative, he told me it worked.
Ron married Mary in 1948, moved from digs in Swindon to lower Blunsdon,in a double fronted house owned by Mr & Mrs Hancock, they lived one side, Ron & Mary the other.
In 1949 they had a baby boy Terence,and in 1954 had a daughter Christine.
Ron worked in the railway works as a labourer, cycling from lower Blunsdon via Hunts Hill (steep) to Swindon.
Then about 1957 moved up to a new estate Holdcroft close no 5, got a new job with Pressed steel around 1959,
as a spot welder on piece work, very hard work but was one of the highest paid manual jobs in Swindon.
He worked there for 27 yrs.
Ron liked playing darts at the local Heart & Hand, and was very good ,and so was Mary who played in the ladies team.
Mary when young had scarlet fever, which unknowingly damaged a valve in her heart, after two children her health started to suffer, but she kept working housekeeping and part time jobs now and again.
As her health got worse Ron stopped playing darts to stay and look after Mary.
Mary had a new plastic valve which was a vast improvement to her health, it was guaranteed for 15 yrs lasted 18 yrs.
They went to paignton on holiday every year for about 5 yrs.
They bought their council house and enjoyed improving it over a few years.
Ron had redundancy from the rover plant as it was called then, and worked full time has a gardener at the Blunsdon house, Mary also worked at the Blunsdon house, in the early years plucking chickens, and wallpapering with Ron,
later as a house keeper.
Sadly Mary past away suddenly on new years day 2001,Dad stayed at Holdcroft coping on his own, with a little help from his family.
The winter of 2009, we had snow and Ron slipped over in Swindon getting on bus back to Blunsdon, after that he lost confidence which put him off going in to Swindon on his own,also we were noticing that something was not right with Dad.
After a few midnight walks,more falling over,a visit to hospital, Dad was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
In 2014 Ron went into a home called Fitzwarren house, Ron seemed happy there, and the staff were very caring.
Ron was very well thought of in the home and was always trying to make them laugh.
In February 2016 Ron developed a bad chest infection,and after four weeks of illness Dad past away peacefully on
17 March 2016.
On behalf of all the family I would like to say publicly.

Thank you Dad, thank you Granddad, Thank you Great granddad.

FOR BEING YOU. X