Horace William "Bill" Ellison Jr., age 76 of Defiance, passed away on Saturday evening, August 15, 2020 at CHP Defiance Area Inpatient Hospice Center. He was born on April 3, 1944 in Anderson, South Carolina to the late Horace W. Sr. and Corrine (Crawford) Ellison. On September 19, 1964 he married Mary Jane (Baldwin) Ellison, who resides in Defiance.

Bill worked as a forklift operator at General Motors for over 41 years until his retirement in 2006. He was a member of  UAW Local #211, and he attended Paulding Church of the Nazarene. Bill was an avid fan of the Chicago Bears, Detroit Tigers, and The Ohio State Buckeyes, and he enjoyed watching NASCAR. He loved spending time with his family. Bill will be sadly missed by his wife of 55 years, Mary Ellison of Defiance, his son, Rodney (Marcia) Ellison of Edgerton, OH, and his daughters, Amy Ellison of Kendallville, IN, and Lana Ellison of Defiance. He also leaves behind his granddaughters, Clarinda and Alisha Ellison, his sisters, Betty Brown of Henderson, NC, and Mary Ann Erwin of California, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother, and daughter, Jessica Ellison. Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday, August 21, 2020 at Schaffer Funeral Home in Defiance. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 22, 2020 at Schaffer Funeral Home, with Celebrant Carol Kurivial officiating. By the order from the governor, a mask and social distancing are required to enter the funeral home. Burial will follow the service at Ayersville Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to CHP Defiance Area Inpatient Hospice Center.