John G. Ellinwood passed away on April 29, 2024. Jack was born on July 10, 1952, at Mound Park Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL to Ruth and Fred Ellinwood.
Jack is survived by his sister Linda; brother-in-law Robert who lives in The Villages, FL.; brother Freddy; and sister-in-law Helen who live in Camden, NC. Jack is also survived by one niece; seven nephews; four grand nieces; nine grand nephews; three great grand nephews; seven great grand nieces; and numerous cousins.
Jack did great work in commercial construction most of his life but became partially disabled from a case of shingles in his head in 2002 which left him with postherpetic neuralgia.
Jack was an avid sports fanatic who watched baseball, basketball, golf, and football. His favorite was college football, and his favorite team was the Florida Gators. He was always seen with his Gators ball cap on. His memory for sports statistics was nothing short of amazing and was often referred to as “Stat Man”.
Jack’s love for animals was over the top, especially dogs; he was so kind and patient with them. Even though he endured constant pain from the nerve condition, he always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger. He and Linda would make daily runs to the local Publix, and we’d bet every employee in there knew Jack and would ask how he was if he missed a day going.
In the 22 years he lived with Linda and Robert, there was never a crossword or argument between them. Sure, they would all poke fun at each other’s idiosyncrasies, such as making fun of all the vitamin supplements his sister and husband took, or the comments made about how the paper towel companies would go out of business if Jack decided to use cloth towels (on garbage day there would be 4-5 bags out for collection, and three of them would be full of paper towels). A couple of his favorite lines were “I keep a tight ship” (referring to a clean kitchen) or “It’s a marathon not a sprint” (referring to long-term conclusions on political issues).
Jack was also OCD on expired dates on condiments and food. Garbage day was his day to look at dates on everything and start tossing.
The family will host a celebration of life on July 14, 2024 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Contact family members for more information.
