James “Kevin” Ellisor

James Kevin Ellisor was born on November 14, 1966, in Lufkin, Texas, to James Edwin Ellisor and O’Deane Ellisor, and left us on October 29, 2024. 

In childhood, Kevin loved baseball. His parents and their insurance company put a stop to his baseball career following multiple ankle injuries sustained while sliding into bases. In high school, Kevin enjoyed tennis, cross country running, and pinball.  He was a member of the show choir, and he was very proud of his ability to flawlessly execute a jazz square and jazz hands combination well into his adult years.  Kevin also competed in architecture drafting competitions at the local and state level where he received numerous awards. His academic achievements did not stop there, he was also a proud National Merit Scholar and was awarded a full ride scholarship to Texas A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Analysis and a Master of Science in Business Computing Science.  While at Texas A&M, Kevin was also a member of the Corps of Cadets and the United States Army Reserve.

In his adult years, Kevin was handy, curious, and always open to new experiences.  In particular, he was always ready and willing to take on home construction projects.  For reasons that remain unknown, he was particularly fond of waiting for the hottest part of August to undertake arduous projects in the attic. He was a multifaceted handyman doing everything from installing ceramic floor tile, laying and connecting sprinkler lines, and fixing broken shower knobs. He installed many a ceiling fan and swapped out light switches because his wife loves dimmer switches.

Kevin loved to travel and found particular enjoyment in trips where he could “chill out” and enjoy the local culture.  Although he enjoyed a laid-back vacation, he was never one to oversleep — he was keen on waking up early to reserve the very best beach chairs while other vacationers were sleeping in.  In his later years, Kevin also took a particular interest in active pursuits, such as kayaking, which he enjoyed spending a peaceful morning doing with his wife, and yoga.  He quickly became almost frighteningly proficient on his yoga mat, with hip mobility to rival someone 30 years his junior.

Kevin had a quick wit and the mind of a human calculator.  Never one to shy away from nerdy pursuits, Kevin also enjoyed 3D printing and tinkering in his study to create figurines which he shared with members of his local Dungeons and Dragons group. Kevin was also incredibly proud of his DIY coffee roasting set up.  On any given morning he could be found in the driveway, roasting beans, listening carefully for the “crack” indicating they were nearing peak temperature, and keeping careful notes on his observations as well as thoughts on flavor profiles.  Those who were fortunate enough to know him were probably offered freshly roasted beans on at least one occasion.

Kevin was kind and loved to connect with others — he never met a stranger.  He was known to strike up a conversation in the grocery checkout line and would often stop to help change tires on the side of the road. He worked to support his family for 32 years as project lead, manager, and principal in software development and information technology.  He was a proud husband and father who loved to attend his son’s sporting events and daughter’s dance recitals.  He was loved by his family, friends, and co-workers and will be dearly missed.

Kevin is predeceased by his parents, James Ellisor and O’Deane Ellisor, and brother, Charles Edwin Ellisor.  He is survived by his wife, Linda Carol Ellisor, son and daughter-in law, Matthew Ryan Ellisor and Dyllan Ellisor, daughter, Molly Noel Ellisor, and sister, Sandra Gale Ellisor,

Visitation will be held from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at Matthews Funeral Home.  Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday November 7, 2024, at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Kevin’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project, woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.