Brenda Harris Ellis' Obituary
Brenda Harris Ellis, aged 67, died peacefully on April 5, 2018 after a 35-year brave and courageous battle with multiple sclerosis. Brenda was born on March 17, 1951, in Birmingham, Alabama, the daughter of John C. Harris and Charlie Lou M. Harris, both of whom preceded her in death. On September 9, 1969, she met the love of her life, James V. N. Ellis, at a dance for incoming college freshmen in the central Massachusetts area. Brenda and James were inseparable ever since that meeting, eventually marrying on May 27, 1972. Brenda received her Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education in 1973 from Anna Maria College in Paxton, Massachusetts. After college, she became a Special Education teacher at Grandview Heights Elementary School in Memphis, Tennessee from 1973-1976, while her husband attended Medical School. An extremely intelligent and highly-driven woman, Brenda’s passion was teaching and guiding special needs children towards attaining their full potential. Upon her husband’s graduation from Medical School in 1976, Brenda retired from teaching to focus on raising a family, ultimately consisting of a daughter and son. For the remainder of her life, she devoted herself to being an immensely nurturing mother and providing unwavering support to her husband as he began and progressed his medical career. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1983, and the disease had a significantly detrimental toll on her overall physical health, mobility, and independence over the past 35 years. Despite these physical limitations, she never once complained or let the disease detract from being a constant source of strength to her husband and children and a joyful presence for her grandsons, siblings, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, and extended family and friends. Brenda is survived by her husband Dr. James V. N. Ellis; daughter Courtney Ellis Felts (Michael) of Germantown, Tennessee; son James V. N. Ellis, II of Memphis, Tennessee; grandsons Zachary and Cameron Felts; sisters Elizabeth Harris and Beverly Miller (Aubrey), both of Birmingham, Alabama; brother Thomas Harris (Bonnie) of Louisville, Kentucky; five nieces and one nephew; and a host of other relatives and close friends. In addition to her parents, her brothers Johnny Harris and Eddie Harris also preceded her in death. Visitation will be on Monday, April 9, 2018 from 5-7pm at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis, Tennessee. The funeral will be on Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 11:30am also at Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made in her name to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
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