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Victor Ellis

bamabryan said:
I wonder if the football team will do anything during the season in rememberance of Victor? Maybe a #9 decal on each player's helmet. Just a thought for honoring and remembering one of our own.
Click to expand...

That would be a perfectly fitting gesture .


I've been very hesitant to post on this topic as it hits too close to home for me . Without going into any detail , I've seen 1st hand what the Ellis family has endured down to the last breath and I only hope it was as peaceful a passing as possible . The hard part is over as he hurts no longer . Victor , we'll all miss you .


9 :BigA: R.I.P.
 
I had the privilege of meeting Vic about 9 years ago when he came home with my little brother for a weekend. The infectious smile got me and I could tell that there was something special about him. While he and my brother were roommates at Alabama I got to know him. Over the years we had become closer and it was always special to talk to him. Over the last few months he has taught me, as well as my family, a lot about life. The selflessness that he exhibited when I would stop by to see him was remarkable. When I was there with him, the current situation was never about him but about me. When I would ask him how he was feeling, he would say fine and then ask about my daughter, my wife, and my grandparents. These last 5 or 6 months have been special for me because I have been able to sit and talk to Vic. When I told him I was going to T Town for the fund raiser in November, he immediately asked if I would photograph. I had the honor of following him around for the weekend. The majority of the photos in the video that Alabama Man posted were the ones that I took. The look on his face as we walked to the 50 yard line was priceless. There is one when we were on the sidelines and his infectious smile is as big as ever. I could go on for a lot longer but I have said enough for the moment.
To answer some of the questions:
SavanahDare and LCN – yes it was peaceful. There were 4 people with him, 1 sister and 3 female friends that were extremely special to Vic. All of his family was at the hospital also.
Thanks Chattbrit for posting the arrangements. The preacher at Lookout Mountain Pres has told the grounds keeper and staff to get ready for the largest service that they have ever had.
Thanks Alabama Man for posting the tribute. If you need any more of the photos from that weekend you can contact me.
Hope to see some of ya'll in Chattanooga.
Sleep well
 
While I cannot say I knew Victor as well as many of you, I feel as though I have lost a member of the family. My daughter was at Red Bank with him and I was at Memorial Hospital the night he died -- my husband is there.

I have never heard one negative thing said about Victor in all these years. The Lord must have a special plan for Victor wanting him so young.

I went to visitation at the funeral home this afternoon. He looked so good, so peaceful. Coach Tom Weathers, his coach at Red Bank, was there and we said hello. Even in the early afternoon the parking lot was at least 3/4 full so I fully expect the service to be packed tomorrow. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend, but I said my goodbyes this afternoon. Farewell Victor.
 
SleepTide said:
I had the privilege of meeting Vic about 9 years ago when he came home with my little brother for a weekend. The infectious smile got me and I could tell that there was something special about him. While he and my brother were roommates at Alabama I got to know him. Over the years we had become closer and it was always special to talk to him. Over the last few months he has taught me, as well as my family, a lot about life. The selflessness that he exhibited when I would stop by to see him was remarkable. When I was there with him, the current situation was never about him but about me. When I would ask him how he was feeling, he would say fine and then ask about my daughter, my wife, and my grandparents. These last 5 or 6 months have been special for me because I have been able to sit and talk to Vic. When I told him I was going to T Town for the fund raiser in November, he immediately asked if I would photograph. I had the honor of following him around for the weekend. The majority of the photos in the video that Alabama Man posted were the ones that I took. The look on his face as we walked to the 50 yard line was priceless. There is one when we were on the sidelines and his infectious smile is as big as ever. I could go on for a lot longer but I have said enough for the moment.
To answer some of the questions:
SavanahDare and LCN – yes it was peaceful. There were 4 people with him, 1 sister and 3 female friends that were extremely special to Vic. All of his family was at the hospital also.[/SIZE]
Thanks Chattbrit for posting the arrangements. The preacher at Lookout Mountain Pres has told the grounds keeper and staff to get ready for the largest service that they have ever had.
Thanks Alabama Man for posting the tribute. If you need any more of the photos from that weekend you can contact me.
Hope to see some of ya'll in Chattanooga.
Sleep well
Click to expand...


Thanks for sharing with us . Anything in relation to how the service went ? Attendance ? Thanks again .
 
The church was completely full. My wife and I were about 1/3 of the way up and we could see people standing in the back. This was a day that was so foggy on Lookout Mountain you had trouble seeing the parking lot when we pulled into the church.
There was a 15 minute slide show of Victor and family & friends that was played a couple of times before the service. There were a variety of pictures that were full of great memories. One of his looking down at his last birthday cake wiping a way a tear was difficult to watch. There were a lot of tears shed but the service was a celebration of Victor's life.
Coach Moore was there as well as many others I hadn't seen in quite some time. The service was attended by members of Victor's church and family as well as many others from his Alabama family. An older black woman sang Amazing Grace that brought tears to everybody's eyes.
Victor's high school coach, Dabo Swinney, his father, and sister all spoke. Dabo did an incredible job. Although he is now coaching at Clemson, Dabo was wearing his crimson tie. He repeatedly commented how impressed he had been by the way the entire Alabama family had supported Victor over the last eight months. Victor's sister from California ended her comments by asking everyone to remember Victor's smile. As she finished uttering the words there was a long rolling rumble of thunder. It was as if God was giving His confirmation.
There was one person I was told about but didn't have the chance to meet who was at the service. I am going to look him up here in Tuscaloosa. Most of you know Victor was working as a student recruiter for the University in the Carolina's. The first student Victor recruited when he got to NC was a young man who had applied to, had been accepted by, and had planned to go to Wake Forest. After meeting Victor, he changed his mind and decided to attend the University of Alabama. The fact that he had come to the service tells you what kind of influence Victor had on his life. Victor had that kind of influence on everybody he met.
 
The service went well. As Castone46 said several players that played with Vic as well as Coach Moore, Dabo and other coaches from UA were there. Several players that didn't play with Vic were there also. Several times during the service, there was thunder. Usually it was at an appropriate time, as if Vic was looking down. If anyone doesn't know, Vic lived with 2 people after he was diagnosed. Tim and Kathy Miller are exceptional people. They changed their lives to help Vic. Tim is the president of the Chattanooga Chapter of the Alumni Association. I have talked to some people that have thought that is the connection. As I said earlier, Vic and my brother were freinds as well as room mates at UA. Kristyn Miller was also there at that time. Not only did Vic come home with my brother, but he came home with Kristyn as well. They have been close ever since, the 3 of them. Tim and Kathy went out of their way to make Vic as comfortable as possible. The connection through UA may have started the relationship, but the love of the people involved carried it on. As I said in my pervious post, 1 sister and 3 female freinds were there at the end. Kathy and Kristyn were 2 of them. I am proud to call Kathy my aunt and Kristyn my cousin. They have exhibited love on another level, a level that most people have not reached. If anyone did not know Vic, this is the kind of people that he surrounded himself with. During the upcoming football season look Kathy and Tim up. They will be "near the stadium". Tell them thanks for what they have done for Vic. If you aren't careful, Tim might corner you and talk your ears off.

more later

Sleep well
 
SleepTide, To call your aunt, cousin and uncle exceptional people is a tremendous understatement. Tim and Kathy Miller were guardian angels to Victor. I cannot imagine what Victor's life would have been like after he returned from his first trip to Houston if they had not taken him into their home. With Victor's dad in Jackson and his mother unable to care for him or even make the trip up the mountain, I don't know what Victor would have done to take care of himself. Tim and Kathy's love and service is the kind of sacrificial love you only even rarely read about. Everyone needs to know your aunt was giving Victor his required medicines and shots every hour with very little help. It was an incredible sacrifice and demonstration of biblical love. It was only appropriate that your aunt was holding his hand as Victor passed while others were dabbling in the hallway. God bless the Millers.
SleepTide, not everybody will be able to thank the Millers personally. Would it be inappropriate for you to post their address or email so people could send cards of appreciation? I have the address and email but I think only a family member should consider posting it. I trust your judgement.
 
Thank you Capstone46 and SleepTide for your contributions. The Millers truly epitomize how Christians should act -- selfless, doing the right thing, following the teachings of Jesus, helping others, etc. Bless them for being there for Victor.
 
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