Ernest Ellison

August 17, 2017

Ovid Ernest Ellison Jr., age 93, passed away Thursday, August 17, 2017. A service with his beloved wife Evelyn, who predeceased him on August 12, 2017, was held on Saturday, August 19, 2017.

Ernie was born on September 17, 1923, in Panama City, Fla., to Ovid Ernest “Bunch:” Ellison, and moved to Tallahassee as a young child where he graduated from Leon High School. He served in the Army Air Corps and graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Accounting.

He began his working career with the State Auditors department and was appointed by Gov. Farris Bryant as State Auditor in 1963. After what was described as a “Coup” in 1967, when the auditing branch of the Florida Government was shifted under the Legislature, Ernie became the first Auditor General of the State of Florida. He served as Auditor General until his retirement in 1986, and was a great steward of the State of Florida, assuring taxpayer dollars were spent appropriately.

After retirement Ernie and his wife Evelyn moved to St. Teresa Beach and enjoyed many years of traveling in their RV’s, having visited every state in the continental United States.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Evelyn Whitney Ellison, parents, sister, Sara Ellison (Eugene) Dunaway, and sister-in-law Irene Whitney (Block) Smith.

He is survived by daughter Sharon Ellison Johnson, son Ernest Whitney (Lea Ann) Ellison, all of Tallahassee; his sister, Eva Ann (Don) Belcher, Bainbridge, Ga., and sister-in-law, Suzanne Whitney Shaw, St. Augustine, Fla. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Samuel Ellison (Candace) Johnson, Little Rock, Arkansas, Sarah Kathryn Ellison and Elizabeth Whitney Ellison of Tallahassee, and great-granddaughter, Ellison Nicole Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Big Bend Hospice Inc. at 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, Florida 32308.

Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements,