Jerry Ellis ‘61 died May 3, 2024 in Fairfax, Virginia after a short illness. He was born in San Diego and was one of three siblings, his sisters Joan and Barbara having passed before him. Upon graduating from San Diego State University in 1967, he joined the Navy and in 1968 he was designated as Radar Intercept Officer in the F-4 Phantom and made two combat tours in Vietnam. Upon return from his military service, he continued his career and worked his way up the ranks at Western Airlines, starting as a ramp and cargo operator in 1966 and ending as SATO manager – responsible for all the official and personal travel of the McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma, WA. When Delta Air Lines acquired Western in 1988 he continued his service by working in Military and Government Sales. At Delta, he became the Global Account Manager in which he was responsible for the coordination and administration of Delta’s participation in the General Services Administration’s (GSA) City Pair Program (CPP) Federal air travel contract. One of Jerry’s favorite jokes was that he couldn’t die because the Lord didn’t want him, and the Devil didn’t want the competition. His friends and family can imagine him quipping that a compromise must have been reached, and “they” found him a golf resort where it’s always a perfect day for golf, no wind, and your drives are flying long and straight. However, the clubhouse often runs out of prime rib and mashed potatoes. Those of us who have survived Jerry will be missing his humor, his kindness, and his faithful presence.
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