William E. Ellis, age 98 of Ocala, Florida, and formerly of the Baldwin area, passed away Saturday, October 8, 2011. He was born on January 19, 1925 in Albion, Wisconsin and later moved the Baldwin area with his parents. Bill married Helen Neudeck on June 9, 1946 and she preceded him in death. Bill later married Joanne McLeod on June 17, 1984 and moved to the Ocala, Florida area in 1992. Bill was a member of the Ocala West United Methodist Church. Along with Joanne he was an avid golfer and together they enjoyed traveling. Bill graduated from Baldwin High School and later attended Kansas State University where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1949. He started work with the Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas where he served for several years as head of the chemical and metallurgical laboratory. He later began work with the E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company where he worked for over 27 years until his retirement from duPont Engineering Department on August 1, 1985. Bill worked as a consulted on problem solving involving materials selection and fabrication and their failure. Many of his recommendations for material and methods assisted Du Pont in becoming more efficient, reliable and safe at over 20 E.I. DuPont de Nemours Company facilities. Bill was instrumental in a three year study of a 1974 tank car explosion in Washington State in which he reevaluated and came up with new findings overlooked in the initial investigation. Bill was eventually promoted to a Principle Division Consultant, a E.I. DuPont de Nemours Companys top technical position with Engineering Services Division. He also served on the steering committee for the Battelle Memorial Institute and served as chairman and was co-founder of the Wilmington Chapter of the American Society of Metals, now called the Brandywine Valley Chapter. Bill served in the United States Army during World War II. He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Joanne of Ocala, Florida; his children Kathy Gilchrest (Bobby) of Ocala; Florida; Mark Ellis of Rehobeth Beach, Deleware; and Gregory Rothfeldt (Donna) of Tampa, Florida; 10 Grandchildren and 4 Great Grandchildren; his sister-in-law Patricia Ditto of Orlando, Florida; brother-in-law, Douglas McLeod (Bobbie) of Gulf Shores, Alabama. He was preceded in death by his sister, Phyllis Vaught and brothers, James, Earl Jr., George, and Fred. A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at 3:00PM in the TimberRidge Chapel of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, 9695 SW 110th St. Ocala, FL. Memorial Contributions may be given to Hospice of Marion County, PO Box 4860, Ocala, FL 34478. Interment will take place next to his parents in White Cloud Cemetery.