Frank Ellis

Frank was born in Birmingham Alabama. His family moved to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina during World War II. In 1947 they moved to Lynchburg for two years before moving to Roanoke where Frank has lived since 1949.

Frank played football for Jefferson High School in Roanoke and remembers going to Lynchburg to play against the Hill Toppers at City Stadium. Ask him about the last game they played—it was quite a day. He was beaten up, bruised and sore, but when headed home to Roanoke, it was with a big smile on his face.

After high school, Frank spent a year at Fork Union and then his freshman year at William and Mary, where fun outranked study, so he worked for a year before joining the Marine Reserves. He returned to college and earned a business degree from Virginia Tech and began a family legacy—his son, daughter, and a granddaughter are all Tech grads, and his youngest granddaughter is currently a student.  

Frank had a 40-year career in sales, mainly as a rep for Norwalk furniture, where he enjoyed the travel and developing new friendships across Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.  

Frank and his first wife raised three children together. His oldest daughter Elizabeth has three grown children and lives in Petersburg Virginia. His son Chip and his wife Claire own a contracting company in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where they enjoy mountain biking and skiing. His youngest daughter Jennifer and her husband Jon have two daughters. They live in Buckingham County on “Afton” the family farm where they renovated the farmhouse and raise cattle. Frank looks forward to visiting his family at the farm more often now that he lives a bit closer in Lynchburg.

Frank married Joyce in 1995 and added her grandchildren to his role as grandad. His beloved wife passed away in 2023.

Frank enjoys walking, watching football, keeping up with politics, old friends, and family. He looks forward to making new friends at WC, joining in on the activities, and eating food that isn’t from a box.