Gary G. Ellingson

Gary was born September 27, 1950 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ronald and Dawn (Glade) Ellingson. He passed away suddenly in Lincoln City, Oregon on July 17, 2017. The News Guard reporter Cassie Ruud talked with former Lincoln City City Mayor Dick Anderson who is now a Lincoln City City Councilor about Ellingson. News Guard: Tell us about your relationship working with Gary Ellingson on council and what kind of an impact he had? Anderson: I don't recall when he first came on council. He was a councilor when I got into city government and when I ran as mayor. I had at least six years working with him. I found him to be very much a community person. He was very concerned about the overall community. In short, he was a great guy, really a good guy. He would, quite frankly, get in trouble with digging too deep. He like the operations and would spend a lot of time with the sewer, water and street guys. I don't know if he was still doing it when you came to Lincoln City, but you would always see him riding his bicycle around town. You'd often see him with his helmet and bicycle and he would just stop and visit with people. He was a wonderful guy. I'm reflecting - He is the one who pushed me hard to follow through with some projects when I was mayor that had been kicked down the road. Like the annexation of Road's End, he thought that was well overdue. The same thing with sewering the lake, moving and advancing that. He was a strong supporter and willing to go the extra mile. He would make phone calls, go talk to people. News Guard: Would you say he set a standard for what a councilor should be? Anderson: I think so. His attendance was very high. He had an illness issue, but overall his extended time he attended all the meetings. Because he had lived in town so long he had a lot of history, which was very helpful. He could remember when something was initiated and bring us forward. He wasn't just warming a chair, that's for sure. He physically wasn't well and was suffering in that regard. I hope that he has found relief, because that was very painful for him and his family, what he was going through. News Guard: What impact did Gary Ellingson have on the Nelscott Gap Improvements? Anderson: He really pushed me to make this happen. He even called the governor to help us get a mediator to help us. He knew the impact that Highway 101 had on the Nelscott area, even one additional lane could help the situation. He was just a great guy and that is why I say, a real community guy. He was really giving. I can remember him handing me a $100 bill or a check for a nonprofit, he was always, "Here, take this." Great, great guy that way. Lincoln City Police LT. Jerry Palmer, who issued the released about Ellingson's death, called Gary Ellingson's Lincoln City's friend. "I don't think the City of Lincoln City could identify a finer individual than Gary Ellingson," Palmer said. "He would do anything for anybody that he could. He took a great interest in our community. He was a strong advocate of the police department and emergency services in the community. He ran a remarkable business and raised an amazing family. It is a difficult loss for the whole community." Ellingson served as a Lincoln City city councilor from 2003 to 2015. Palmer said Ellingson was struggling with personal issues, both medically and emotionally, but he was getting a lot of help trying to work through those issues. Memorial services for Gary Ellingson are planned for 5 p.m. Saturday, July 22, at the Latter Day Saints Church at 3565 NE East Devils Lake Road in Lincoln City. The public is invited to attended. A Private Military Honors ceremony will be held at his final resting place at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon.

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Gary G. Ellingson

September 27, 1950 - July 17, 2017