Rodney Eugene Ellis

Rodney Eugene Ellis, 72, of Morehead City, North Carolina, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at the Crystal Coast Hospice House.

Rodney was born on June 26, 1953, in Detroit, Michigan. He carried with him a strong work ethic and a warm personality that made a lasting impression on those he met throughout his life.

Rodney worked as manager at the Holiday Trav-L-Park at Emerald Isle where he enjoyed meeting people from all places. He later worked in quality control at Moen in New Bern, NC. Before he retired in 2019, he worked at Lowe’s Home Improvement in Cape Carteret.

Rodney favorite sports teams were the Detroit Lions, Detroit Tigers, and the Duke Blue Devils. He especially enjoyed games at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

He was an amazing home chef preparing such delicious meals for his family as quiche, chili, and gourmet cheeseburgers. He also loved to use his grill. He spent many hours watching all his favorite cooking shows and picking out new recipes to try. You should see his collection of cooking spices!

He was adventurous and loved to travel and try new things. We took many family trips to Busch Gardens, Williamsburg. His favorite vacations included trips to Hawaii, Yellowstone, and the Pacific Northwest. On Kauai he took a helicopter trip all by himself to see the Na Pali coast! On all his trips and travels he never met a stranger and loved talking to everyone. He took part in any activity that was offered.

He loved listening to music and attending shows with his family. He also enjoyed rewatching his favorite movies such as The Outlaw Josey Wales and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Rodney was known for his artistic flair and creativity. He had an eye for design and recently enjoyed painting beautiful scenes while wearing his Bob Ross socks! He also created beautiful scenery by landscaping his yard.

Rodney had an amazing sense of humor and enjoyed making his family laugh and smile. He was a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather and will be greatly missed by everyone.

Those remaining to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Shirley Ellis; daughter, Meredith and husband Dennis, and 2 grandchildren, Will and Lily; and brothers, Harvey Ellis and Rip Collins.

Rodney was preceded in death by his father, Harvey Claude Ellis; mother, Freddie Collins and her husband Rip Collins; and brother, Tim Ellis.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at Crystal Coast Hospice House for their kindness, compassion, and wonderful care.

Services for Rodney will be private. As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made in memory of Rodney to the Crystal Coast Hospice House, P.O. Box 640, Newport, NC 28570 or to Martha’s Mission Cupboard, P.O. Box 603, Morehead City, NC 28557.

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net.

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home & Crematory in Morehead City, NC.