Ellis Alexander Handy

HANDY ~ Ellis was born January 31, 1941 in Augusta, Georgia, to Ellis and Retha Handy.  At the age of fifteen, he moved to Anniston, Alabama; this is where he met and married the love of his life, Sarah L. Bolton.  This union was blessed with seven children.  Ellis was very adventurous, so the family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1961 where he pursued a singing career that he willingly left behind after deciding his family was more important.  Then, in 1970, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida and made it his home.  He had a profound love for Jehovah God first, then his forever love and devotion were to his wife and family.

Ellis always said his family made him the richest man in the world.  As a young boy, after his parents split, he promised himself that when he had a family of his own, he would raise his family to be very close.  His loving nature, devotion to his wife, his family, his love for others, and his faith will make his legacy continue.  His family knows him as a jokester, singer, dancer, and a protector.  Up until the very end he always put on a show dancing to any beat his children gave him.  He made everyone around him feel special and even informally adopted others as his own. 

Brother Handy completed his faithful course November 27, 2019.  He left to cherish his memory a beloved wife of sixty-one years, Sarah B. Handy; children, Gwendolyn Sirmons (Lavon), Ellis Handy III, Carolyn Bentley (Jimmy), Janet Barnes (Terry), Lisa Tunsil (Amos), LaTonya Davis (Omar), Yolanda Garner (Nick), Michael Frison (former wife, Harriet); 23 grandchildren, a host of great grandchildren; step-mother, Rosa Mae Handy; siblings, Freddie Handy, Deborah Handy-Davis, Cal Ruffin, John Ruffin, Mary Handy-Peterson, and Jeremiah Handy; special nephew, Robert Bullock II (Sherryl); special cousin, Eugene Bullock; and other family members.  He was preceeded in death by his brothers, Robert Bullock and Leon Stevenson. 

Memorial Service for Mr. Ellis Handy will be 2:00 PM Saturday, December 7, 2019 at Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall, 3003 Soutel Drive.  No visitation service.  Arrangements entrusted to J. E. Fralin & Sons Funeral & Cremation Services, 5065 Soutel Drive, 904.924.9400

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