The story
A memorial service for Courtney is planned for June 12, 2021 at Decatur First United Methodist Church. Service time and additional information to be announced.
Courtney was a storyteller. If you have any stories to share through photos, videos or writings, please feel free to do so below.
Please also consider a donation in Courtney’s name to one of his favorite charities: DeKalb School of the Arts, Boy Scouts of America, and Decatur First United Methodist Church. Copy & paste the links provided below to make a donation.
DeKalb School of the Arts
https://ptsa4dsa.new.memberhub.store/store/items/125974
Boy Scouts of America
https://donations.scouting.org/#/council/092/appeal/696
Decatur First UMC
https://decaturfirst.org/give-online
Memory wall
60 tributes have been left in memory of Courtney Ellis.
-
Church photo late 69 or early 1970 - what a great smile
-
Whitewater rafting with Court and Haralds Gaikis at the Clackamas River 1985
-
Whitewater rafting with Court at the Clackamas River 1984
-
With the beloved hand-me-down pickup truck of Casey's. We survived several years driving it; many fond memories. 1991
-
Cool calm and collected - even when there is whitewater and rocks all around....1985
-
In Olympic NP, overlooking the Strait of Jean de Fuca, 1988 or 89.
-
Courtney canoeing on the C&O canal near Carderock, summer 1983. Courtney loved being on the water and was an excellent canoeist, sailer, waterskier, windsurfer, etc.
-
On the fire lookout tower, Goat Mountain, Cascades. 1991
-
We stayed at a cabin near Mt. Ranier in November 1988 when Chas came for a visit to Seattle.
-
Court always had a great sense of style. Except when he did not. Here he is demonstrating his trick for cooking without getting out of his sleeping bag on a cold morning in a cabin, November 1988.
-
This picture was taken in Thailand a few months before I met Courtney, but Courtney spoke of this trip so vividly that I feel I can do the tale justice. The expedition to Thailand was Courtney’s first big trip outside North America and certainly opened his eyes to global travel. He and his friend, Dan McBride, acted as couriers for packages to Asia in exchange for $100 business class tickets to Thailand. With all his travel belongings in a small backpack, he and Dan journeyed around Thailand, meeting travelers from all over the world. This photo was taken in Phuket. Dan and Courtney had met some European travelers, and the four of them rented small motorcycles to ride along the seaside roads. I believe some sort of animal jumped out and Courtney swerved, resulting in a ride down an embankment that wrecked the motorcycle and caused a large gash to his left thigh. The photo shows the mangled front wheel as well as the large bandage on the sutured laceration. You can see by the smile on Courtney’s face that it was all worth it! When I met Courtney on New Year’s Eve 1991-2, Courtney had brought his photos to Dan and Maya’s house, and we stayed up late looking at the pictures as he told me the stories of his amazing trip. Later, when I had visited Courtney’s folk’s home in Arlington, I noticed a handwritten note by Courtney posted on the refrigerator. “Mom was right about motorcycles - Courtney.”
-
Touring northern Australia with Amina and Courtney. 2000
-
Here he is at Fred and Betsy's in the early 90's celebrating XMass - Amina was sitting across from him
-
This is Courtney with his brother Fred and two best friends, Charles Hoagland (l) and Peter Gimlin (r) in the 1987 at Bill & Mary's wedding. The details fade but the friendship will not. Peter
-
Courtney and Peter visiting us in our first New York apartment, 1984
-
One of the intense 3-on-3 basketball tournaments held at Eagle Camp every year, Uncle Court is about to dish the ball to me for an easy pass to Mike for a layup!
-
Having climbed Mt. Ellinor in Olympic NP. 1988
-
Whitewater rafting with Court at the Clackamas River 1984
-
It was May, 1992. I had just finished medical school, and Courtney and I had known each other almost 6 months. Courtney had business with CRC in Paris, and he invited me to join him after his meetings. Courtney, of course, bought me the ticket and planned the entire trip. Courtney’s vast knowledge of the history, geography, and sites as well as a superior grasp of the airline and hotel industries led to always amazing trips on a budget, and this first big trip that we took together was no different. He had chosen a boutique hotel (the Phenix hotel - he of course kept a card from the place) just 1 block from the Arc de Triomphe. We then headed by train to the Loire Valley to Blois (I recall the best fondue ever there), where we rented bicycles. We rode from castle to castle - Chambord, Cheverny, and more - stopping by the side of the road to eat fresh baked baguettes with cheese and pate (and occasionally a little red wine). I can still picture the art class of school children with their palettes and easels in the courtyard of Cheverny. We then headed to Arcachon, a beach town on the Atlantic coast, where we played on large sand dunes (Great Dune of Pyla). I trying jumping off one, only to do a head plant in the sand. Courtney suffered with the sand that fell from my hair and ears for several days after that but never complained. Courtney, of course, sniffed out the WWII bunkers on the edges of the beach. Next, we took the train to a stop seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I was worried that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Courtney reassured me that we needed to walk a half-mile and the town would be there. As we trekked along the country road, a hill rose up in front of us, and the medieval town of St. Ẻmilion (where we are in the photo above) emerged. We stayed in a quaint room overlooking the lit courtyard and the church. The restaurant in the inn was fabulous. They kept bringing out cheese, which I gobbled down with gluttonous pleasure. Courtney had such a smile on his face when he finally let me know that they were going to just keep bringing me cheese until I said stop. He got such a kick out of my innocent uncouth behavior and never made me feel uncomfortable. We then toured the wineries. Courtney communicated so well in French, but he stumped them when trying to ask why the wine had a certain “chalky” flavor (which, once one winery understood what he was saying, he learned quickly never to say that again). We made our way to Bordeaux with plans for a train ride in the morning to catch our early afternoon flight back to Washington, D.C. Carefree and back in Paris, we decided to stop at some fromageries for gifts on the way to the airport. Of course, when we arrived to the airport, we were much too late to catch an international flight. To me, this was the moment that solidified our compatibility - missing an international flight would be the end of many a new relationship. But for us - we shrugged our shoulders and celebrated that we would have yet another day in Paris. Courtney, of course, was able to re-book a flight for the next day at a nominal fee. We returned to the Phenix hotel, bought several liquor-filled chocolates, and wandered along the Seine, enjoying our bonus night in the City of Love. The next day, we returned to the US where Courtney’s folks were picking us up at the airport. Courtney, of course, whisked through security. I, on the other hand, fumbled through explaining how he lived in Seattle, I lived in NY, he arrived in Paris several days before me, and so on. Subsequently, my bags were searched, uncovering all my undeclared cheeses that we had purchased that day before. Courtney’s folks were so confused why I was not coming out of security, but I finally emerged, and we all had a good laugh. Fortunately, immigration let me keep the cheese.
-
For those that knew Courtney this picture captures his "Look" which is one where he is getting ready to tell a story or explain something of interest to his nephews. One unique story comes to mind of Courtney with his 2 nephews... Donna was busy with graduate school and i had an evening appointment so Courtney came up to take them to dinner at Chucky Cheese... now i really miss Courtney because i can not so justice to the way he would tell this but i will try... The ordered their pizza's Mike got plain cheese and AJ would have the pepperoni sausage and played a few games... then it was time to sit and wait for the pizzas to come to the booth. Well they pizza was delivered and no sooner did the waiter walk away Mike began to wail in shear terror while sitting across from Courtney AJ just dug in and began to eat his like this was normal behavior. Courtney is trying to calm Mike and figure what in the world is going on... finally he asks AJ because nothing is working and AJ looks up and says" Its ok Uncle Court he's just scared of the giant rat "The chucky cheese mascot" and puts his head down and starts to eat.... That night i got home and Court says " hey Case next time warn me about the Rat and Mike" and proceeded to tell the story- I sure do miss him❤
-
.jpeg)
Courtney, Elise, Fred and Peter at Elise & Tony's wedding reception, July 1983
-
Courtney was such a vibrant, loving soul, even during his time of illness, that it is really hard to imagine him no longer with us. We met Courtney at the Rocking Horse Inn in Taos New Mexico, in 1992. He and Amina were there on a ski trip. We arranged to meet while on a Southwest trip Carl and I took with Ethan during the year I took off for medical school after Ethan was born. . Others in our medical school class had already met Courtney, and we had heard how smitten they were with each other. We had the same experience as others, seeing instantly how they were perfect for each other and how, right away, Courtney felt like a lifelong friend. They both were lovers of the outdoors, adventure, and travel. Amina’s training and this love of travel eventually took them to Australia, where, of course, very romantically, they got engaged at the stroke of midnight of the new millennium. We had the good fortune to attend their wedding in Seattle in 2001. Ethan, then 10, hesitated not one second in getting right into Courtney’s car to be wisked away the fun kid things happening while adults attended a pre-wedding festivities. We were then blessed that Amina chose Emory for her fellowship, putting us in close enough proximity for them to come to us for a mountain retreat, and us to visit them for a city fix. Our friendship to continued to grow . It was Courtney who showed me the Kingfishers that live on our river, and I think of him every time I see one while kayaking. It was during one of his visits with the kids, that we discovered that Ethan had gone out on a very unauthorized spin in the family car at age 14. Courtney was an anchor for us as we dealt with this, never seeming judgmental, just supportive. This photo is from our trip with Amina and Courtney to Key West January 2019. There, Courtney, though weakened by his condition, was an inspiration. He and Amina dealt with it all and accepted it as he tried to live life to the fullest within the level of his abilities. If that meant sitting on the porch and enjoying the incredible view and entertaining us with lively conversation, he seemed to appreciate every minute. We enjoyed being to toured on foot and by car through a city he knew well from years of family vacations. We got to see him one last time just over a year ago when they stopped on the way to their yearly trip to a family camping retreat in Vermont, still with much joy, enthusiasm, and love for his family. When Covid hit, it dawned on me what life would be like for him, not getting to be around people, so I called him and enjoyed the stories of his family he loved so much and all that they were up to, which we all know was his unwavering top priority. What we have now are amazing memories of a great friend, a wonderful husband, the most enthusiastic devoted dad we can imagine. We will all miss him greatly.
-
Court , For you my brother. xoxo Casey
-
One of the neatest things about your Dad Courtney was the summer of 1984 when he first came to Seattle between his Junior/Senior year at Beloit. He had taken a class in computer programming at school that spring and i had met Virgil who said he was looking for a programmer and i of course spoke up and said oh my brother knows how to program...etc. Soooo Virgil called him and interviewed him and out he came to Seattle to work. Well Court and I hadn't really thought it through as i had a 1 bedroom apartment with a King waterbed that backed up against 2 walls.... but we spent that summer sharing a sloshing waterbed and one of the weekends Hazel and Eldee who were Uncle James and Aunt Margies next door neighbors came up and we went to Victoria for the day. Heard a band playing in the pavilion in the park there and everything. The thing about that summer that is so cool is that it really was the beginning of your Dad and I becoming much more close as we were both young adults then and on our own. I feel so lucky and grateful that i not only had him as a younger brother early on in my life but that i really got to know him and love him as an adult.
-
Eagle Camp 3-on-3 tournament, ready to play Defense
-
Camping with Court at the Clackamas River Raab Campground1984
-
Court on the summit of Mt. Si in the Cascades in 1988. Hiking was one of the passions of his life.
-
Hillary and I visited Courtney and Amina in Sydney in 2000. Courtney was not permitted to work, so he had the free time to be the most amazing host and tour guide while we were there. Court with Hillary in downtown Sidney, showing that great smile.
-
This captured a moment in 1985 that really reflects the face of laughter and humor that Courtney spirit would bring to any time you spent with him. Reflects his sparkle and impish humor he could bring to any moment and gathering.
-
This photo was taken in Brian Head, Utah, on our journey from Albuquerque to San Francisco. Our work visas for Australia were in limbo, so we made our way to our port of departure by way of a stunning drive from Albuquerque to Las Cruces (to visit our dear friend, Reuben), Silver City, the Petrified Forest, (AZ), North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Brian Head, Tahoe, and finally San Francisco. Poor as church mice, we filled our trunk with a Costco shop and camped at National Forests along the way. At each stop, we mountain biked gorgeous single track trails, swam in canyons, and enjoyed wild flowers in the desert that were blooming after a long hiatus at the end of a La Nina year. We had arrived at the Brian Head camp late at night. Readying ourselves for sleep, we noted how difficult it was to blow up the over sized air mattress we had brought. In the morning, we woke to see we had snow outside our tent (it was July) and realized we were at 9800 feet altitude or so, explaining our difficulties with the mattress the night before. The mountain biking ended in Nevada after a tumble left me with a concussion and dislocated clavicle. However, our work visas came through, we flew to Sydney, and our next adventure began. But, the journey to get there was as beautiful a story for us as the amazing stories that followed.
-
A couple of the family this was us in Arlington in 1965 for Xmass
-
I first remember hearing about Courtney from Amina during my last year of medical school. It was clear to me that she had found someone very special who shared her zest for outdoor activities and adventures. And eventually I met this wonderful man who loved to hike, mountain bike and boat, when my husband and I visited them in New Mexico. It seemed that Courtney and Amina were inseparable, moving from one adventure to the next. We kept in touch over the years, meeting them at medical school reunions and when they stopped by on their trips to Eagle Camp during the summer. It was clear that Amina and Courtney were a team and that they loved each other very deeply. Last summer, they travelled up to Vermont again and we had the pleasure of going out to lunch with them at the North Hero House. Courtney’s health had declined significantly but his spirit was just as strong and positive as always. He had such a wide range of interests and he spoke about traveling, nature and activities, but most notably about his family and children. It was clear that despite his illness, he still embraced life passionately, and that his family was the center of his life. We will always remember Courtney’s strength, generosity and goodness. And we will always remember how much he loved his family and how proud he was of his wife and children.
-
Whitewater rafting with Court and Haralds Gaikis at the Clackamas River 1985
-
Having climbed Mt. Ellinor --second try to upload :)
-
One of our favorite places in Atlanta is an ice cream shop in a caboose in Chamblee called Frosty's. Courtney and Sabra would share a banana split, which was HUMONGOUS. Courtney, who could be a little cheeky, would always send Sabra up to the counter by herself to buy and carry back the ice cream treat. The other customers in line would be wide-eyed in surprise with the sight of such a little tiny girl with this giant banana split.
-
Here he is at Fred and Betsy's in the early 90's celebrating XMass - Amina was sitting across from him
-
Whitewater rafting with Court and Haralds Gaikis at the Clackamas River 1984
-
Courtney in his bunk at Eagle Camp on South Hero island, Vermont. He is not pleased with the paint filter hat I provided him for his photo op. We painted over several summers in college to make money. Summer 1983, I think.
-
Table full of Ellis's at Eagle Camp with Uncle Court
-
Touring northern Australia with Amina and Courtney. 2000
-
The entire Atlanta gang (Missing Nate) at Carolina and I's engagement party, 2019
-
Played bball with Grutzner and your dad in the parking lot of the kngdome in 1987
-
This picture really speaks to me about who Court was and how much he enjoyed life and adventures and sharing them with friends and family. Whitewater rafting with Court and Haralds Gaikis at the Clackamas River 1985
-
I met Courtney through his brother Fred and Peter Gimlin when I shared a house in Seattle with Fred and Peter in the late 1980's. Courtney visited our house often and we'd have conversations about politics, economics and fun stuff to do in Seattle. Courtney was a fun, energetic and a very smart guy. I remember him being very loyal to his family and friends. This is a picture of Courtney and Fred at Tonys and my wedding. Tony and I were at the party where Courtney and Amina met, and it was obvious they were both very taken with each other. I haven't seen Court since he left Seattle, but I will always consider him a friend. I am glad he is with Fred and his Mom and Dad in heaven. Cheri Borland Grasso
-
Uncle Court teaching me how to wind surf, Eagle Camp
-
Sunset supper on the summit of Castle Rock, by Hurricane Ridge, Olympic NP. September 1991
-
Uncle Court and Aunt Amina at Mom and Dad's for Carolina and I's engagement party, 2019
-
Eagle Camp Cocktails
-
Taking a dip in a stream, at Courtney's insistence. Not croc waters! Courtney, Peter, Hillary
Keep exploring
See more memorials on the tributes index, or browse cemeteries and burial plots on the interactive map.