May 13, 1925 – June 24, 2021 (age 96)
After celebrating 96 birthdays, Ellis Wynn John returned to his heavenly home on June 24, 2021. He was born on May 13, 1925, to Noah James John and Esther Elmeda Hall John in Portage, Utah. This is where he grew up and enjoyed farming with his parents and 12 siblings. After he graduated from Bear River High School, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp and was stationed in Europe during WWII where he completed sixteen missions as a waist gunner. His military experience established in him pride and love and appreciate for his freedom and citizenship in the United States of America. While he was serving in the Air Force, Ila Mae Williams was waiting for him and writing to him which gave him hope and courage to endure the years away at war. When he returned from war, he married his sweetheart, Ila Mae Williams in the Logan, Utah LDS Temple on November 15, 1945.
Wynn and Ila Mae lived in Portage, Utah and grew their family with gratitude and love as they welcomed eleven children into the world. He worked at the Sugar Factory in Garland, Utah and then for the last thirty years of his career he worked at Morton Thiokol. His farm in Portage is where his heart was and where he spent countless hours working the ground and building relationships with his children and teaching them many valuable life lessons.
When Wynn retired from Morton Thiokol, he and Ila Mae realized a lifelong dream of serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They served in the West Indies Mission on the islands of St. Kits, Nevis, Trinidad, and Tobago. When they returned from their mission, they worked in the Logan Temple for 18 years, taking a break to go on another mission to the Ghana, West Africa Temple. Wynn and Ila Mae cherished every day together for nearly 65 years until she passed away on October 26, 2010.
He held many callings in the Church including ward clerk for 23 years, bishopric councilor, high councilor, explorer leader, and home teacher. He had a beautiful bass voice that he shared in the ward choir and at countless funerals.
Wynn is survived by his sons, Wynn (Pam) St. George, Utah, Marvin (Louise)Providence, Utah, J. Neal (Nancy), Sanger, Texas, Larry Lynn (Pam), Hyrum, Utah, daughters, Leona (Skip) Chandler, Holladay, Utah, Marlene (Jerry) Irons, Layton, Utah, Peggy (Jed) Ricks, South Jordan, Utah, Mary Ann (Bryan) Deem, Holladay, Utah, Melanie (Kent) Christensen, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 38 grandchildren, 110 great grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren, one brother, Denton John, one sister, Florene John Madsen, and two sisters in law, Verlene Williams and Rose Lee Evans.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ila Mae, two sons, Baby boy John, Leon John, his parents, his mother and father in-law, John Jones Williams and Leona Jones Williams, 10 siblings and 24 brothers and sisters in-law.
Wynn spent the last ten years of his life residing at the Deem residence in Holladay, Utah. He passed away at the Ridge Assisted Living Center in Holladay, Utah. We would like to thank the caregivers there and Bristol Hospice for their kindness and care in his final weeks of life.
The greatest legacies this gentle giant hero, father, grandfather, great grandfather and great-great grandfather leaves his family, are his often born, always lived, testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel, and his constant love and adoration for our mom.
A viewing will be held on Friday, July 2nd from 6:00-8:00 pm at the Fielding, Utah LDS Stake Center, and on Saturday, July 3rd at 9:30-10:30 am with the funeral following at 11:00.
Internment will be at the Portage, Utah Cemetery.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Horsley Funeral Homes.