Barbara Phillips Ellis (Phillips)

Barbara Phillips Ellis, 87, of Greeley, Colorado, died peacefully, surrounded by family, on November 4, 2019. She was born on January 16, 1932, in Larned, Kansas, to Warren Purslow and Eloise (Heaton) Phillips.

Barbara graduated from Larned High School in 1950, along with twelve other graduates who had started Kindergarten together and graduated together. She began playing piano at the age of 3, and later studied music at Colorado Women’s College in Denver. She then entered the Creighton University St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing, and became certified as a Registered Nurse in 1954. Barbara studied further at Creighton’s School of Anesthesia, graduating and becoming certified as a Registered Nurse Anesthetist in 1957.

She began work as a CRNA in 1958 in Hannibal, Missouri, where she met Samuel Teel Ellis, Jr., M.D., a radiologist, who later became her husband. The couple moved to Richmond, Virginia, which became the birthplace of their first three children.

Dr. Ellis transferred to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1962, and the couple lived then in Independence, Missouri. Their family grew to eight, with the birth of two more sons and a third daughter. In 1969, the family relocated to Lake City, Florida, where two more sons were added to the family.

Barbara was always involved with her children’s activities and school events, while she also started a Pilot Program within the schools for teaching job and everyday living skills to special education students.
She later worked as Director of Nursing for two Florida nursing homes and at group homes for the mentally handicapped, and for geriatric/psychiatric clients. She worked for several years as Director of Nurses and Night Charge Nurse at Baker Correctional Institute near Olustee, Florida. After moving to Colorado in 1987, she worked in the home healthcare field until her third and final retirement from the Weld County Area Agency on Aging in 2015.

Still active and always on the move, Barbara retired to Estes Park, Colorado, and relocated finally to Greeley, Colorado, to be closer to her children and grandchildren. Barbara was a life-long seamstress and, in her too rare spare time, loved to make quilts, clothes, dolls and toys, and she enjoyed decorating birthday cakes and wedding cakes.

Barbara’s spirit is carried on proudly by her nine children, seventeen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, two siblings, twelve nieces and nephews, and an extended family of relations and friends from every walk of life and every corner of the world. We were all blessed to have learned many, many valuable lessons during her 87 years from our friend, neighbor, caregiver, Momma, Granny, Grandma Barbara, Aunt B and Aunt Dearie, among them: It’s never too late to take down your Christmas tree; Save everything, because you never know when you might need a skein of orange rug yarn or some grocery coupons from 1986; Never throw away plastic silverware (it can be washed, you know); Keep the car keys under the front seat so they don’t get lost and, above all, “Use your head for something besides a hat rack.” Those of us who’ve taken her lessons to heart will continue to ensure that every baby will be rocked and kissed, every nursing home resident will be visited and comforted, and every guest will have a warm bed and a soft nightlight.

Barbara is survived by her children and grandchildren whose photos she would gladly share with anyone at anytime: Mary Pat McKenna, Phoenix AZ (Ed Skibbe, sons Matt Anderson, Colin Stevens and Ian Maxwell); Mary Pat Daviet, Greeley CO (Mark, son Thomas “T.J.”); Bill Ellis, Gulf Breeze FL (Sandy, son Sam, daughter Amanda); Sarah Ellis, Ft. Collins CO (daughter Leila); Rebecca, Windsor CO (Charlie O’Leary, son Charles Murphy, daughter Mary Beth Goldman, Sam Ellis); Bob, Gulf Breeze FL (son Andre’, daughter Isabella); Tom, Chicago IL (Lynn, son Thomas, daughter Hannah); John Ellis, Evans CO (son Jesse); Edward “Mac” Ellis, Greeley CO (son Cameron, daughter Katie). She is also survived by sister and life-long best friend Sarah Lloyd of Loveland, Colorado; sister Joan Waldron of Ft. Collins, Colorado; niece and namesake Barbara Racette of Loveland, Colorado, and by many in-laws, nieces, nephews, friends and family too numerous to list but never forgotten.

Barbara was preceded by her husband and the love of her life, Dr. Sam T. Ellis; her parents; sister Patricia Mohn Nickels; special sister Katherine Stewart; brother Warren Wesley Phillips, nephew David Mohn, stepson Samuel T. Ellis, III; and stepdaughter Margaret Ann Ellis Dye.

We do our best not to cry because it’s over, but to smile at the blessing of our many years with her. We love you forever, our Momma and our Granny.

The family will greet friends from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Friday, November 15, 2019 at the Carson-Speaks Chapel, 1501 W. Lexington Ave., Independence, MO 64052 followed by a graveside service at 2:30 p.m., Friday at Mt. Washington Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to “Pathways Hospice” or “Pitt Hopkins Research” in care of Adamson, 2000 47th Ave., Greeley, CO 80634.