John Charles Ellis, Sr.

BOSSIER CITY, LA - John Charles "Sonny" Ellis, Sr. passed away on June 16, 2016. He was born in Downsville, Louisiana on August 11, 1925. He attended high school in Monroe, Louisiana and after, served honorably in the US Navy Seabees on the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Thanks to the GI Bill, after the war he graduated as a petroleum engineer from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and married Jimmie Dee Johnson from West Monroe, on February 3, 1951. His career in the oil business started offshore in Raceland, Louisiana where his first child was born. From there it was off to Hobbs, New Mexico where his other two children were born. Stops in West Texas, back to New Mexico, then to Norman, Oklahoma and Longview, Texas were all part of the journey before he settled his family in Shreveport in 1965. He was preceded in death by his one true love, his wife of 64 years and 355 days, Jimmie Dee Johnson who passed January 24, 2016. He rejoins her exactly five months later. John is survived by daughter Kendy Ellis Munson and her husband Donald; daughter Janet Ellis Bonnette; son John Charles Ellis, Jr. (Chuck); five grandchildren, Sarah Munson Levy and her husband Andy, Christine Munson Sharp and her husband Julian, Jessica Munson and her partner Joe Taylor, Dan May and his wife Jill, and Kelly May; five great-grandchildren, Drew Levy, Elliott Levy, Nadia May, Natalia May, and Leigha Taylor. Pallbearers will be Donald Munson, Dan May, Donnie Clack, Ed Milford, Andy Levy and Julian Sharp. Super special honorary pallbearer is super special great-grandson Drew Levy. Also our love goes out to life-long friend, Dempsey Horton and a very special person, Emilie. Services will be held at Rose-Neath Funeral home, 2500 Southside Drive in Shreveport on Friday, June 24, 2016. Visitation will be from 9:30-11:00 a.m. with service to follow at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Northwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 7970 Mike Clark Road in Keithville, LA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to The Jonas Project, 425 E 4^th Street, Suite D, Long Beach, CA 90802 or to Wounded Warriors Family Support, 920 S. 107^th Ave, Suite 250, Omaha, NE 68114.