Mr. Sidney Johnston Ellis Sr.

Sidney J Ellis, Sr. passed away April 23rd at the age of 91. Sid, as he was known by most, was born July 4, 1930 to Bertis Delo and Jimmie Tompkins Ellis in Vicksburg, MS and lived all of his life in Mississippi. He was a Korean War veteran in the Air Force, serving in Germany and Italy. He graduated from Utica High School, Hinds Junior College and Ole Miss with a BBA degree in accounting. His first job was with Delta Pine Land Company and then with the Greenville Public Schools as Director of Business Affairs. Sid and his wife, Mary Lou, lived in Scott, Greenville, and Byram, Mississippi. They were charter members and helped establish Southside Baptist Church, Benoit, MS, starting as a mission church and growing into a full-time church. Sid served in many positions in Calvary Baptist Church, Greenville. At CBC he began to lead lay-led weekend revivals until April 1974, when he began a great journey with the renewal ministry as a coordinator for 35 years and leading 220 weekends. After retirement from the Greenville Public Schools in 1991, he moved to Byram to become the State Church Renewal Coordinator with The Mississippi Baptist Convention Board and became a member of NAMB in church renewal. Sid and Mary Lou enjoyed rich relationships with their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and their Sunday school classes at Alta Woods Baptist Church, Jackson, Mississippi. Sid is survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary Lou; his children, Jay Ellis (Anne) of Brandon and Mary Alice Marsh (Rick) of Starkville; five granddaughters, Anne Marie Martin (Jeremiah) of Mission, TX, Sydney McClendon (Ron) of Bixby, OK, Shelby Ellis of Little Rock, AR, Catherine Marsh and Kristen Marsh of The Colony, TX; and five great granddaughters, Makayla, Maci, Miley Martin and Lilly Beth and Aly McClendon; and one sister, Lanore Kelly of Pearl. He was preceded in death by 5 brothers and 1 sister: Jack, Charles, W.C., Billy, Richard and Bernice. Visitation and a memorial service will be at Chancellor Funeral Home, Byram, MS. Visitation will be Saturday, April 30th from 1:00 to 3:00 followed by a memorial service at 3:00. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Alta Woods Baptist Church, Christian Studies Scholarship Fund at Mississippi College, P.O. Box 4005, Clinton, MS 39058 or a charitable organization of your choice.