Richard Eugene Elliott was born on September 22, 1937 to Josephine and Arthur Elliott of Lincoln Pike, Gallipolis, Ohio. On Tuesday, October 2, 2018, he lost his battle with cancer at his home with loved ones present. Eugene was reared on a Lincoln Pike Dairy Farm in the Northup Community.
He graduated from Gallia Academy High School in 1955. Eugene was a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). He loved drag racing on weekends and earned several trophies.
On August 5, 1961,… Read More » Eugene married Evelyn Miller of Waterloo, Cadmus area, at Crown City, Ohio. On November 23, 1961, Eugene was drafted into the United States Army. He did his basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky and transferred to Fort Hood, Texas for the rest of his tour.
During the Cuban Crisis, he was sent to Fort Stewart, Georgia and then on to Hialeah Race Track in Florida where the First Armored Division was doing amphibious training and was camped under bleachers. Eugene was in the troops that President Kennedy reviewed; he was honorably discharged in November of 1963, just one day after President Kennedy was assassinated. Eugene returned to Gallia County and worked construction; he later entered into the trucking business, driving local and long distance.
Eugene is survived by his wife, Evelyn Elliott of Gallipolis; three children, Terence Elliott, Tamara (Michael) McConnell, and Timothy (Brandi) Elliott, all of the Gallipolis area; eight precious grandchildren, Ryan Elliott, Brittany (James) Baker, Teah Elliott, Gretchen McConnell, Gabrielle McConnell, Hunter Elliott, Madison Elliott, and Aubrianna Elliott; one great granddaughter, Chloe Ann Baker; sister, Carolyn (Larry) Harrison of Grove City, Ohio; sister-in-law, Patricia Elliott of Gallipolis; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Eugene was preceded in death by his brothers, Glendon Elliott and Charles Arthur Elliott in infancy. Eugene was a former teamster Union member, life-time Gallia County Farm Bureau member, and Gallia County Agricultural Society fair board member for 31 years.
He received the Outstanding Fair Supporter Award for District Seven. Eugene was a Rodney Ranger 4-H advisor for 39 years, served on the 4-H Executive Board, and was a 4-H Hall of Fame member. He was a supporter of Gallia Academy sports, having worked the football sideline chains for 38 years.
Eugene was also a member of Rodney Church of Light. The funeral service for Eugene Elliott will be 2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 5, 2018 at Willis Funeral Home with Pastor Todd Hines officiating. Entombment will follow in Ohio Valley Memory Gardens.
Friends may call prior to the service from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home. There will be full military honors given by the Gallia County Funeral Detail. Pallbearers will be Greg Belville, Shannon Belville, Dean Harrison, Greg Harrison, James Baker, Briggs Shoemaker, and Mathew Hemphill; Honorary Pallbearers will be Charlie Myers, Justin Williams, Carl Clark, Joe Roush, Bob Foster, Fred Deel, Sammy Hemphill, All Fair Board Members with whom he served, and all his Thursday Liars Club Buddies.
In lieu of flowers, Eugene’s family requests donations be made in his memory to Holzer Hospice.
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