Wanda "Kay" Ellis

Kay  was born in Elkin, NC  She was preceded in death by her parents, John Harley and Pauline Morrison Ellis  and her brother, Lanny Gayle  Ellis   She is survived by her nephew, Scott Ellis and niece, Melissa Ellis Schuth and three grand nieces, Olivia Ellis, Abigail Ellis and Mia Schuth, who she loved very much.

Kay passed away peacefully in her sleep while under hospice care at Brandywine Senior Living Center in Rehoboth Beach, DE

As Kay did in life, she wanted her friends and family to celebrate, not mourn her death.  She left us this fabulous edited excerpt from a high school reunion post that describes her life in her words.

"Following Elkin High School, I went to UNC-G, getting a degree in Recreation.  After UNC-G and a year with the American Red Cross doing hospital recreation at Camp LeJeune Naval Hospital, I spent three wonderful years in Hawaii learning to surf and speak Hawaiian (worked for computer company).  Leaving the "good life," I moved to the Washington, DC area, where I resided for 40 years!  About 10 of those years were spent in various research and consulting positions and teaching at George Washington University (all recreation and disability related).  Along the way, I picked up a Master's Degree in Therapeutic Recreation and went to work for the Federal Government.  I retired in January 2013 with a little over 30 years federal service with the Bureau of Land Management (13 years) and the National Park Service (17) as the National Accessibility Program Manager at both agencies, making national parks and public lands accessible to disabled visitors." Finally settling down in retirement in Lewes, Delaware.

"I have been so fortunate because my jobs and personal interests/trips have taken me to 110 National Park sites in the US, as well as parks in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.  I've also had the unique pleasure of meeting two presidents, a vice president, and a first lady, as well as the Queen of Samoa and the Queen of Norway.  A personal interest of mine, access for people with disabilities to wilderness areas, has taken me on several exciting trips, including a month in Australia, two weeks of which were spent on  a wilderness canoe trip down the Snowy River (half the participants had a disability).  A similar trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota/Canada was filmed and aired on Sunday Morning.  These experiences, plus others, such as taking a ride on a nuclear submarine, having a tour of the aircraft carrier that picked up the first moon landing astronauts (courtesy of Frank Curtis, EHS class of '61 and Navy pilot who ferried the moon rocks back to the mainland from Hawaii), sitting on the actual feet of the Statue of Liberty, and bungy-jumping off a 143-ft. bridge in New Zealand have been some highlights of my life."

A graveside memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Thursday, April 9, 2026 at Crestwood Memorial Gardens in Elkin,

The Ellis family suggests that any memorials in Kays memory be directed to: Elkin Educational Foundation, P.O. Box 803, Elkin, NC 28621

John Kennedy, Funeral Director is assisting the Ellis family with funeral arrangements.