Dr. George J. Ellis Jr., a dedicated physician and longtime resident of Winston-Salem, died on June 26, 2026. He was born in Washington, D.C., on July 12, 1930. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s Elementary School in 1944, Gonzaga College High School in 1948 and The Catholic University of America with and AB in Biology in 1952. He received his MD from George Washington University Medical School in 1956. He interned in the US Navy at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia and served with the Fleet Marines at Camp Lejeune, NC for two years. Following those experiences, he completed a residency in General Surgery at The Washington Hospital Center. He then spent three years in obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C. where he became board certified in OB-GYN. He then practiced in D.C. and suburban Maryland until 1981 when he moved to Winston Salem to join RJR in the Winston-Salem Health Care unit.
Dr. Ellis was very active in teaching boating education on and off the water. He was Commander of the Lake Norman Sail & Power Squadron, the Winston Salem Sail & Power Squadrons and he held the office of North Carolina’s District 27 Commander. In addition to his interest in boating, he was a always active in community and neighborhood organizations. He was a loyal patron of the performing arts, especially the Winston Salem Symphony. He was a dedicated member of the Episcopal Church, serving for many years as a Lay Eucharistic Minister. He loved photography and computers, and was a better-than-average user of both.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. George J. Ellis, Sr. and Martha Katherine Johnson Ellis; sisters, Mary Louise Ellis Wilson, Catherine Ellis Dirlam, Anne Ellis Gallagher Geiger; a brother, Robert Morgan Ellis; the mother of his children, Vivien Evans Ellis; his wife of twenty-eight years, Helen Jones Driskill Ellis; as well as a daughter and son, Martha Ann Ellis Yates and Edwin G. Ellis; and his beloved furry friend, Andre. He is survived by his longtime partner, Laura B. Ball of Winston Salem; brother, William M. Ellis; sister, Karen Ellis Barbee and her husband Tom; children, George J. Ellis III and his wife, Terry, James C. Ellis and his wife, Jen, and Mary M. Ellis Folsom and her husband, Mark; ten grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Dr. George Ellis’ memory to Trellis Supportive Care in Winston Salem, 101 Hospice Lane, Winston Salem, NC 27103.
