Nelson W. Ellmore's Obituary
Nelson Wayne Ellmore, a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on July 28th, 2024, in Ashburn, VA, surrounded by his loving family. He was 83 years old.
Born in Washington, DC, on January 24th, 1941, Nelson was the son of the late Wilbur A. Ellmore and Louise P. Ellmore. He graduated from Herndon High School in Virginia in 1959.
Nelson excelled at everything he did, especially in his career at The National Cancer Institute/National Institute of Health (NCI/NIH). He worked as a cell biologist at the Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology (LCMB). It is there where his dedicated work proved to greatly contribute to cancer research all over the world. He established or invented numerous human cell lines. Notably, in 2019 one of his cell lines was licensed to be used by a company for further research. He has also been a contributing author in many NCI/NIH publications.
He was a motivated self-starter and had many other talents and hobbies outside of his work career. His passion for nature and the outdoors led him on many hunting expeditions all across the United States and New Zealand.
He became very skilled at archery and was awarded many medals for his accuracy. He was such an accurate archer and was known for shooting many “Robin Hoods.” He was a very conscientious, respectful, and patient hunter waiting for the perfect shot and animal. He harvested deer, caribou, elk, and wild boar to name a few and always shared the meat to “Hunters for the Hungry.”
Nelson was always very eager to pass on his knowledge of archery. Teaching safety first and then good technique. He taught his family, friends, and many aspiring archers in the area.
Earlier on he won many trophies as a drag racer at the Manassas dragway with his 1964 Plymouth.
Nelson is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Donna Jean Ellmore; his son, Nelson Wayne Ellmore II and his wife Cheryl; his daughter, Carrie Fay Ellmore-Tallitsch and her husband Tom; his grandchildren Caitlin Faith Ellmore-Alliet (husband Brandon), Samuel Wilson Ellmore, Emily Mae Ellmore, and Melissa Skye Tallitsch; and his great-grandchildren Ryanne Alliet and Kit Blue Ellmore-Alliet.
Nelson is survived by his siblings Patsy Ellmore, Sharon Ellmore-Murray, Rodney Ellmore, and preceded in death by his late brother Wilbur Ellmore.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 10th from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at the Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg Virginia. Please click on the link to view the obituary, pictures, and share memories or stories. https://www.loudounfuneralchapel.com
Nelson will be deeply missed by all who knew him and his memory will forever be cherished in our hearts.
In Lieu of Flowers, please consider donating to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (https://www.michaeljfox.org/).
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