Hugh Ellison

Hugh F. Ellison, 70, of Hillsboro, Texas, died Tuesday, December 10, 2019. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 45 years, daughters and family at the time of his passing. In honor of Hugh’s legacy, a Celebration of Life will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 14, 2019, at the First United Methodist Church of Hillsboro.  A private burial will be held following the service.  Friends may pay their respects from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday, December 13, 2019 at Marshall and Marshall Funeral Directors in Hillsboro.

Hugh was born on Aug. 25, 1949, in Fort Worth, Texas. The son of Martha Ann Rankin and Joe Charles Ellison, he graduated from Itasca High School in 1968. Hugh attended Hill College and then East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas, where he met his best friend and the love of his life, Vicki Lin Baker, of Grand Prairie, Texas. The two were married on December 22, 1974.

Upon graduating from East Texas, Hugh began his teaching career as a physical education teacher at Gainesville State School. He left teaching for a brief time, before re-entering education with Hillsboro ISD. He would then go on to change and impact the lives of thousands of young people over the next nearly 30 years. He retired as the principal of Covington ISD in 2013.

Hugh was many things to many people: coach, teacher, principal, friend, mentor, uncle, brother, but most of all he was a loving husband, father and Pop-HE. He loved traveling to the Texas coast with his family, visiting the mountains, golfing with his buddies, and Dallas Cowboys football.

He is survived by his wife, Vicki; his daughters, Kati Lin Ellison and husband, Jaime Rodriguez, Emily Ann Craig and husband, Ben Craig, and Betsy Jean Moorehead and husband, Ryan Moorehead; four beautiful granddaughters, Jami Lin, Halle Joe, Harper Jean and Ellison Anne; his sister, Marsha Ruebsahm, of Plano, Texas, and her husband, Rodney; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and loved ones. He was preceded in death by his mother, Martha Rankin Ellison, and his father, Joe Charles Ellison, both of Itasca, Texas.

Pallbearers will be Ben Craig, Jaime Rodriguez, Ryan Moorehead, Chuck Cummings, Kip Cummings, Rodney Ruebsahm, Tommy Beard and Jerry Yocham. Honorary pallbearers are Matt Daniel, Stephen Daniel, Casey Cummings, Joey Roseborough, Matt Roseborough, Ryan Ruebsahm, Gary Barns, Tony Marley, Kennie Nowlin, Ricky Merkel, Chuck Blair, Dudley Grayson, Billy Martin, Dave Dudley, Bob Crane, Jimmy Holland and the list goes on.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation in memory of Hugh Ellison, at parkinson.org, or to the organization or charity of your choice.