Patrick Ellis

Patrick Ellis, a former Lab engineer, died May 26. He was 86.

Ellis was born in Greeley, Colorado, in 1932 to Burr Kensworth Ellis and Ruth Opal Emerson Ellis. The family moved to Venice, California, and later settled in Tracy in 1938. He graduated from Tracy High School in 1950. While in high school he played football, tennis, was in the drama club and played drums.

After high school he attended the College of Pacific prior to enlisting in the army in 1951. His tours of duty included Germany, Norway and England. He was honorably discharged in 1955.  At that time, he enrolled in Modesto Junior College. Around the same time, he started working at Yosemite National Park as a guide in the summer as well as on the ski slopes in the winter. In 1959, he married Helen Dirikie and had two children, Jackie Lynn George and David Patrick Ellis. He left Yosemite in 1960 and started working as a correctional officer until 1961 when he started work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He worked as a safety engineer.

He married Jane Groves Ellis in 1973 and they together they raised their two sons, David (Skip) Fleshman and Erich William Fleshman. He was a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and a certified safety engineer for the state.  He was also a lifetime member of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

He was proceeded in death by his parents, sister Carol Kavathas, and his son David Ellis. He is survived by his sister Karen Faias; son Skip Fleshman and his two daughters and son; Erich Fleshman, his daughter and son; his daughter Jackie George and her family; as well as the sons and daughters of his son David Ellis as well as their families.