Ellison Robert Ashe was born in Key West, Florida, on December 1, 1939. The son of William Robert Ashe and Eugenia Elizabeth Ashe and the eldest brother to Evelyn C. Whiteside (David), Althenia C. Storr (Roger), Theresa M. Rush (Mack), Richard J. Ashe (Rose), (Sandra), William A. Ashe (Corvetta), (Rose) and Donna L. Lopez (Calvin).
Ellison Ashe graduated from Douglas High School in 1959 as Valedictorian of his class. He then spent the next 4 years of his young life attending Universities in California, with studies in mechanical engineering, art, and architectural landscaping, as well as serving in the United States Navy, being honorably discharged in 1968.
The most important milestone in his life occurred on October 27, 1965, in Los Angeles, California, when he chose to turn his life over to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
In July of 1966, at a camp meeting in Portland, Oregon, he met his future wife, Barbara. As the story goes, they met on Sunday, she received a postcard on Monday, a lengthy letter on Tuesday, and a proposal via phone on Wednesday. The following month, he made it official, in person, by presenting her with a gold box containing one dozen long-stem red roses with a gold Longines watch at the bottom. They married a year later, on September 1, 1967.
Having studied journalism in high school, he began pursuing his passion for writing novels until his wife expressed, in only the way a wife can, that the kids needed to eat. This lit a fire under him and set him on the path to learning the trade that allowed him to open his first re-upholstering business, Rose of Sharon. As the years went by, Rose of Sharon grew into a furniture retail and manufacturing operation under the new name Joppa of Florida.
From 1965 to his passing, his number one passion was serving Christ. His businesses were storefronts, affording him the opportunity to spread the news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. May it be said as he crossed over, “Well done, my good and faithful servant, the body is weary and tired; you can now rest.”
Ellison was a strong family man. He was very proud of his wife and nine children.