Mr. Wendell "Bruce" Ellis age 63, of Dalton, Georgia, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 7, 2023, at his residence, surrounded by his loving family. Bruce was born October 3, 1959, in Dalton, Georgia.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Marvin and Fannie Ellis and Hugh, Sr., and Mamie Blake; his father, Paul "Trammell" Ellis, and his mother, Katie Ellis all of Dalton, GA.

He is survived by his devoted wife of thirty-nine years, Tami Ellis; loving daughter Heather (Navar) Pickard; and beloved granddaughter, Adalyn Grace Pickard. He is also survived by his brother, Harlan (Judy) Ellis; sister, Sonya (Kent) Babb; nephews and nieces, Nathan Ellis, Shannon (Bryan) Talley, Conner (Karen) Ellis, Kenli Babb, and Shane Babb.

Bruce had a passion for learning. He was a 1977 graduate of Southeast High School. He received his Associates of Science in Accounting from Dalton Junior College in 1979, and then a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1987. He later received his Master of Business Administration in Accounting from Kennesaw State University in 1994. These, along with his professional certifications, gave him a successful forty-three year career in the accounting field. Highlights of his career include receiving the Springs Achievement Award from Springs Industries and accepting a national award as the president of the Dalton chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants. He was most recently employed at Textile Management Associates.

Bruce was a lifelong member of Olivia Baptist Church where he dedicated his life to serving the Lord. According to his personal testimony of faith, he was saved in Sunday School at the age of six. In his early twenties he became more focused on God's work and became a deacon and Sunday School teacher of Olivia Baptist Church. He taught Sunday School classes for almost 40 years and was a deacon for 35 years. He served as Chairman of the Deacons for 12 years. In 2008, he surrendered to the call to preach and enrolled in Temple Baptist Seminary. He received a Master of Ministry in 2011, a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in 2013, and a Master of Divinity in 2016.

As the Minister of Education at Olivia Baptist Church, he devoted his time to developing class materials, writing sermon series, and teaching and preaching the Word. He spent countless hours in his study reading and writing. He loved to teach people about the Bible. Bruce also used his business talents to serve the Lord by developing the church budget and providing oversight of the finances on the Olivia Baptist Church finance committee. He was chairman of the finance committee for over 30 years. He also served as interim pastor for a period between 2018-2019.

In his spare time, Bruce enjoyed fishing, researching Civil War history, watching the Atlanta Braves, and spending time with his granddaughter. He took pride in planning family vacations that included a little something for everyone - a visit to a Civil War battlefield, a baseball game at a Braves farm club, and a trip to the beach. His favorite vacation was a trip to Point Lookout, Maryland to see where his Civil War ancestors were held prisoner in a Union POW camp.

Visitation will be on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Olivia Baptist Church and after 1:00 p.m. Friday until the service hour.

A service to celebrate his life will be held at Olivia Baptist Church on Friday, January 13, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. Reverends Bruce Beach, John Everett, and Randy Postell will be officiating.

Byron Brackett, Danny Cochran, Scotty Cochran, Dale Davis, Mark Jamison, David Johnson, Reed Johnson, Barry Minish (honorary) and Mark Sloan will be honored to serve as pallbearers.

Burial will follow in the Cove Church Cemetery.

Flowers will be accepted, or donations can be made in his memory to Olivia Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1291, Dalton, GA 30722.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.pondersfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements by, Ponders Melrose Chapel 138 Melrose Drive Dalton, GA 30721, 706-226-4002

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