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Buxton Timothy “Buck” Ellis passed away peacefully on May 7, 2024, at his home in Suffolk after a long and difficult treatment for pancreatic cancer. He was born in Suffolk, Virginia, the son of H. Jan Ellis and the late Lena Ann Crutchlow Ellis; and grandson of the late Austin Albro and Fannie Olivia Brinkley Ellis, and the late Irving Burruss Crutchlow Sr. and Lucile Blankenship Crutchlow.

Besides his father, Buck is survived by his sister, Angel Ellis Khoury of Manteo, NC; cherished aunts and uncles; cousins who were like his brothers and sisters; second and third cousins who looked up to him; and long-standing friends who completed his family circle.

A 1978 graduate of John Yeates High School in Suffolk, he completed his journeymanship in 2009 and graduated with honors as an Operating Engineer from the Virginia Apprenticeship Council. A member in good standing of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 147, since 2005, he operated heavy equipment for large corporations at job sites such as US Army bases, federal research centers, oil refineries, electric utilities, hospitals, performing arts centers, colleges, public schools, and theme parks in Virginia. In that capacity, he safely operated 75-ton boom cranes, 55-ton link-belt cranes, 40- and 50-ton cranes, front-end loaders, forklifts, dump trucks, and road sweepers. His most recent employment was at Saiia Construction’s project for Dominion Energy.

Since the age of 10, Buck was a skilled hunter, and later became a valued member of Central Hill Hunt Club. He looked forward to an annual hunt for veterans through the Wounded Warriors Project. Growing up fishing in area lakes, rivers, and bays, his last boat trip was on his new fishing Sea Doo in the Blackwater River. He was a member of several pool teams over the years, and enjoyed traveling with friends to Las Vegas for tournaments. For more than 60 years, he looked forward to a week in Nags Head with his “Crutchlow Cousins,” where Rook was his favorite card game and riding waves his favorite water sport. Buck was a lifelong Tarheel fan.

The family will receive friends and relatives on Friday, May 10, from 6 to 7:30 PM at R. W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home, 509 W. Washington St., Suffolk. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 11 at 1 PM at Suffolk Christian Church, 216 N. Main St., Suffolk, followed by a reception in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Burial will be private at Nansemond-Suffolk Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516, or online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org; or to the charity of your choice.