William Ray Ellis

William Ray Ellis was born on November 18, 1925, in Terre Haute, Indiana, and died on September 14, 2018, in Abilene, Texas. Ray also spent early years in New York and Pennsylvania, before graduating from high school in Dallas, Texas. Immediately after graduation he began service in the US Army during WWII, stationed in Calcutta, India. Because of his call to ministry, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University and Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

During college years he fell in love with and married Nancy Nealita Greer on December 29, 1948, in Bangs, Texas. They celebrated their 69th anniversary last December. Their children are Bill Ellis, married to Diana; Bob Ellis, married to Teresa; and Nancy Ellis Kucinski, married to Dale. Ray and Nancy’s grandchildren are Emily Ellis Ellison, married to Kevin; Brett Ellis, married to Shannon; Neal Kucinski, Katherine Ellis, and Laura Ellis. Their great-grandchildren are Raylee Ellison and Mia Ellis.

Ray was the pastor of several churches, including the First Baptist Churches of Iredell and Groveton, Texas. He joined the faculty of Hardin-Simmons University in 1957, retiring from there in 1993 as the Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Greek. At HSU he was a beloved professor by generations of students and received the Faculty Member of the Year Award in 1987. He received the President’s Award from the Association of Texas Graduate Schools in 1990. Through the years he served as interim pastor and Bible study leader in countless Baptist churches in Abilene and across Texas. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Abilene.

Visitation with the family will be 5-7pm on Monday, September 17, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene. A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Tuesday in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Abilene.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Ray and Nancy Ellis New Testament Greek Scholarship at Hardin-Simmons University.