Robert O'Neil Ellis, 92, of Lake Jackson, Texas, passed away at his home on July 13, 2018. He was born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on April 4, 1926, to the late John Henry and Mary Pearl Ellis.

His family moved to Texas when he was young and settled in Palacios, where he lived until he married Elva Jean Wells on December 21, 1944, and they lovingly raised two daughters and a son in McAllen and Van Vleck, TX and Stavanger, Norway.

During his life, he worked in an ice cream factory and then for Coca Cola before signing on with Phillips Petroleum where he retired after 34 years, 3 years of which he spent working on the Ekofisk Oil Project in the North Sea off the coast of Norway.   He was a charter member of First Baptist Church of Van Vleck, TX, and helped to build the church building alongside his father-in-law, M. M.(Potsy) Wells. He was later ordained as a deacon there. He served as President of the School Board for Van Vleck Independent School District and Fire Chief for the Van Vleck Fire Department. In later years, he was a member of First Baptist Church of Bay City, First Baptist Church of West Columbia, Trinity Baptist Church of Trinity, and then First Baptist Church of Brazoria where he served as a deacon and was honored with the title of Deacon Emeritus.

Robert is survived by his wife of 73 years, Elva Jean, his daughters Sheila Hanna and husband Paul and Debra Tepera and husband George, his grandchildren Robert Hanna, Tammi Hanna Parkey and husband William, Chad Tepera and wife Sunonda, Jeana Tepera Tiner and husband Darryl, his great grandchildren Kayla, Trent and Jesse Tepera, Chase, Justin and Morgan Winthrop, Andrew Tiner, Jackie Tiner, and Christa Hughes, Krystle Tipps and Triston Tanner, seven great-great-grandchildren, brothers Lloyd Ellis and wife Betty, Wayne Ellis and wife Zana, Leonard Ellis and wife Sue, and many nieces and nephews.   He is preceded in death by his parents, his son Terry O'Neil Ellis, and his sister Lucille Vogel and husband Herbie.

There will be visitation at Taylor Bros. Funeral Home in Bay City on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 18 2018, at 10:00 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Bay City with Dr. Michael Zimmerman officiating. Interment will follow at Roselawn Memorial Park on CR 2540 in Van Vleck, Texas.Pallbearers will be Paul Hanna, George Tepera, Robert Hanna, Chad Tepera, Darryl Tiner and William Parkey.