Donald Ellison

Donald Dale Ellison, of Lakeside Arizona, passed away at home surrounded by his family on May 6, 2026, at 12:30 am. He was born August 23, 1947, at Wilcox, Arizona to Donald Nathan Ellison and Johnnie Thelma Corn (hence the reason for his corny jokes) and was the youngest of four children (a brother and two sisters).

He had an exciting childhood on the family farm, where he survived many childhood accidents. From cracking his skull falling out of a high chair, bee stings from a hole in the old house, falling on farm equipment and cutting a hole through his chin, falling into the pond, floating face down when the family dog howled until Fran, his 6 year old sister who couldn't swim, jumped in and held him up at the same time she would push off the bottom for air multiple times, until his 8 year old brother Glen pulled them both out of the water, and lighting the barn on fire with his sister, JoAnne. He believed that farm kids must have a special angel watching over them or none of them would live to be grown. After the farm, the family moved around Arizona, Canada, Alaska, and finally settling in Taylor, Arizona.

After serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in North and South Dakota and graduating from Northern Arizona University, he married his "TRU WUV" (as they said in Princess Bride), Drinette Webb; after all, "mawage, is wot bwot them togeder" on January 29, 1972. They later settled in Lakeside Arizona. After retiring in 2010 from teaching science at Blue Ridge Junior High School, he and his wife taught for five years in Saudi Arabia. While there they traveled and saw the world.

After retiring for the last time, they served two missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2013, they served a mission in Beaumont, Texas and in 2018, they served in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

His hobbies included woodworking, building on the house, fishing with his grandchildren (e.g., untangling their fishing lines), serving others, telling dad jokes, or "Bad Jokes" as we used to call them, making up creative adventure stories to entertain his children and later grandchildren, walking and riding bikes with his wife, opening doors for his wife, and being inseparable from her.

He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, daughters, Dalyn Elzinga and Dana Badger; son, Darrien Ellison;13 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held, Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Lakeside Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1520 Church Lane, Lakeside, Arizona, with a viewing one-hour prior.

Interment will follow at the Vernon Arizona Cemetery.