Richard Earl “Dick” Ellis Obituary – dictated by him at the VA Medical Center, Durham, NC.
Richard Earl “Dick” Ellis was born December 13, 1944. During the beginning of the Battle of the
Bulge during WWII, Mrs. Ellis said there were many bulges going on at the same time. Dad lost
his father at age 3 1/2 and from there started the journey of becoming his own man.
By age 10 Dad had a paper route and did a ventriloquist act for local civic clubs and birthday
parties.
By age 13, he was working in the tobacco fields during the summer. He was given a set of
drums and by age 15 he played drums in three bands. Also, at 15 he was caught driving in
Raleigh without a license. He joined the Civil Air Patrol. As a Sergeant he was a member of the
State CAD drill team and student pilot.
When he was Master of Ceremonies for the high school band crowning the Homecoming
Queen, he was spotted by the local radio station and offered a disk jockey job doing a show
called Night Beat at the local amusement park. The next year he was offered a full afternoon
and evening shift on the radio.
Dad graduated high school at age 17 and left immediately for a private electronic school in
Atlanta where he earned the highest US Government Engineering license for operating radio
and TV stations. Returning home and finding a radio job in Greenville, he learned to parachute
jump with the local college jump team. While jumping one Sunday afternoon in Washington, NC
the local TV station came out to film the activity and offered him a job as booth announcer.
Soon he was offered the position of 11:00 weatherman. Having studied meteorology while
learning to fly, thus becoming the youngest TV weatherman in the United States at age 19.
Also, during this time, the local kiddie show clown left for a better opportunity and that
position was offered to Dad as “WITNey the Hobo”.
Drafted into the United States Army in November 1966, Dad was sent to Fort Bragg for basic
training and then, because of his background, sent immediately to the Public Information Office
18 th Airborne core Fort Bragg headquarters. Six months later he was on the way to Vietnam
where he served with the American Forces Vietnam Network from ‘64 to ‘68. Taking over as
weatherman and producer for “Bobbi the Weather Girl” caused the Viet Cong to put a 25,000
piaster reward on his head, like the other TV personalities.
Dad also acted as combat correspondent and photographer on weekends and traveled to
almost every province in Vietnam. Flying as a light observation helicopter (LOH) gunner with the
9 th infantry division in the Delta he was hit by bullet shrapnel in the leg and side of his face but
refused paperwork for a purple heart saying, “there are a lot of guys hurt far worse than me”.
Dad was credited that day for discovering a paymaster distributing money to Viet Cong soldiers
in the Delta and logging 7 KIA and 4 sampans. Arriving in ‘Vietnam dad replaced John Steinbeck
Jr. Leaving Vietnam in 1968 lo and behold in came John Steinbeck’s older brother Tom and a young announcer named Pat Sajak, known for The Wheel of Fortune. Upon leaving he was
presented with a bronze star.
He taught a class in two high schools about Vietnam and spoke to numerous civic groups for the
next 50 years.
Returning home Dad worked as a news reporter for WRAL television in Raleigh, North Carolina,
hired by station Vice President Jessie Helms. He left WRAL after 5 years to work for North
Carolina’s first Republican Governor Jim Holshouser. He first served as Press Secretary to the
Department of Cultural Resources and later, appointed by the Governor, in 1974-76 as the
Director of the North Carolina Bicentennial Celebration. Leaving state government in 1977, he
opened his own advertising company whose clients included a number of political campaigns
and advertising and consulting.
In 1975 professional boy scout Rex Thomas came into the Bicentennial headquarters to
encourage scout participation in North Carolina’s celebration. They became best friends.
Thomas was racing sports cars at the time and Dad became his crew chief. They raced for the
next 20 years, including the Southeastern Regional Championship sports car club of America.
Other activities included the Arial-ADAM driving school and racing with movie star Paul
Newman at Road Atlanta.
In ’76 Dad, and his former wife, invited two sisters Annette, and Cindy Guyton, to live in their
home until getting established after graduating from Oxford Orphanage. After a short time,
they both had their last names changed to Ellis. In 1980 Annette was legally adopted and he is
the proud grandfather of Reed and Charlotte.
In ’76 Dad was the Master of Ceremonies for the Miss North Carolina Beauty Pageant. During
his career he MCed over 50 local pageants.
In 1979 he was Press Secretary for Judge I. Beverly Lake’s run for Governor and drove him all
over the state in a mouse ridden donated Winnebago.
In 1981 he was Invited to work with President Reagan in Washington, DC. Dad worked at the
Pentagon as Director of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for six years. He was also
appointed by Defensive secretary Casper Weinberger as a member of the defense secretary’s
publications review board, which required a top-secret clearance. One newsletter at the
national intelligence agency contained a secret crossword puzzle. He also volunteered as a
member of the President’s Commission on Hiring the Handicap.
In 1986 he was asked to move to the US Small Business Administration (SBA) to open the first
Office of Veterans Affairs where he remained until 1990.
Returning to Raleigh, Dad helped start the first Shrine Circus brought to Raleigh, giving a free
ticket to a needy child for each one sold.

In 1991 he returned to Washington for one year to serve as Press Secretary for a North Carolina
Congressman.
He taught cooking classes for three years at Wake Tech Community College.
In 1993 he worked on the staff of the North Carolina Republican headquarters as a Press
Secretary and North Carolina representative for President George Bush, Sr
Dad was invited to work for Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake, Jr. as Press Secretary for the North
Carolina Court System for the next 10 years, then moved to Marshal of the Court of Appeals. He
then retired at age 75 on Valentines Day, 2020.
He served as the Chaplain of a local VFW post and a member of the American Legion.
Meanwhile serving as state Public Affairs Director for the VFW – breaking the state buddy poppy
sales record 2 years in a row. He is a member of the Raleigh Masonic Lodge Hiram #40 and is a
56-year Mason where he advanced to the degree of Knights Templar and is a 52-year Shriner.
He belonged to the Wake County Shrine Club and served on their Board of Directors. He also
served for 47 years in various positions with the Boy Scouts of America Occoneechee Council
and recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, lately serving on the Senior Advisory Committee and
Vice President for Public Affairs and Marketing.
After retirement, Dad served as campaign manager for Supreme Court Associate Justice Phil
Berger, Jr.
North Carolina has lost one of its greatest servants. He loved Nascar. In addition, he enjoyed
working in his workshop making custom made hunting knives, tin can Christmas trains,
marshmallow guns, cooking, hosting parties, hunting rabbits in Harnett County and fishing with
friends in Johnston County, and bourbon.
There will be no funeral. The date of a memorial Pig Pickin will be announced in the spring, to
be held at his home in Raleigh, North Carolina.
His last request is for everyone to get a colonoscopy before it is too late.
The Lord took him home on Saturday, January 28th, 2023. He is survived by his daughter Annette Rogers,
Grandchildren Reed and Charlotte, Cindy Ellis Waters, and countless friends around the world.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be sent to It’s Our Time, a non-profit. You may use
the donate button below, or send to It’s Our time, C/o Dick Ellis Memorial Fund, 3513 Old
Post Road, Raleigh, NC, 27612. Donations in his memory will be used to develop a program to
support boys and their single mothers.