Douglas "Doug" Sanford Ellis' Obituary
Mr. Douglas (Doug) Sanford Ellis of Millsboro, DE, formerly of Branchburg, NJ passed away at home with his family by his side on Monday, August 7, 2023. He was 69 years old.
Doug was born in Wilmington, DE on March 18, 1954, to the late Naomi Jeane Sanford Ellis and Joseph Hudson Ellis (Dot) who survives him.
He graduated from the University of Delaware, where he pitched for the baseball team and later received his MBA in Finance from Farleigh Dickinson University. Doug was the former President of both the northeastern division of All American Containers and Paradigm Packaging prior to that. He was a formidable presence in the rigid packaging industry who garnered tremendous respect from an extensive group of friends, colleagues, and clients.
Doug was an avid golf enthusiast and played some of the top 100 golf courses in the country, including Pine Valley and Augusta National. A devoted New York Yankees fan, he became a dear friend to Old Timer, Whitey Ford.
He was the consummate storyteller, with a gift of making those in his presence laugh and feel loved. His generosity and willingness to encourage and support everyone around him was unmatched. Words can’t describe the magnitude of the positive impact he had on so many lives. He was “larger than life” and will be sorely missed by so many.
In addition to his father, he is survived by his devoted wife Cathleen Peters of Alexandria, VA; daughter Jennifer Reppe (Kameron) of Harrisburg, VA; son Kevin Ellis of Portland, OR; stepdaughter Hannah Shiblaq of Alexandria, VA and sister Dori Kennedy (John) of Wilmington, DE. He also leaves behind two nephews B. J. Wallace (Anna), Justin Wallace, niece Kristi Bahgat (Sherif) and 2 great nieces and 2 great nephews, all of Wilmington, DE. Doug is also survived by extended family and an astonishing number of dear friends.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, October 1, 2023, at the Watson Funeral Home and Crematorium, 211 S. Washington St., Millsboro, DE 19966.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to the American Heart Association in Doug’s honor.
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