Diannah Champion Ellis
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Elizabeth Diannah Champion Ellis, known by all as Diannah, 79, of Durham, NC died Feb. 4, 2020 at home in Durham, NC surrounded in love by family members and hospice caregivers.
She was a beloved mother, Yia-Yia (grandmother), wife, musician, psychotherapist, friend and loyal lay church leader.
She is survived by her husband, Marion Arthur "Art" Ellis, daughters Margaret Ellis Chotas and Elizabeth Diannah Ellis-Furlong and their partners Harrell Chotas and Emmet Furlong, granddaughters, Georgia Elizabeth Chotas and Ava Eleanor Ellis-Furlong, grandson, Nicholas Arthur Chotas of Durham, NC; and brother, J. Rodney Champion of Kings Mountain, NC. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Andrew Jackson Champion, Jr.
Diannah was born on Oct. 23, 1940 in Spartanburg, SC to Andrew Jackson Champion and Eleanor Greene Champion. The family moved to Gastonia, NC in the late 1940s where Andrew became a successful agent for Liberty Life Insurance Company. He also was an accomplished singer and choir leader. Eleanor was a homemaker and a Sunday school teacher.
Diannah attended public schools in Gastonia and played the trombone in the Ashley High School marching band, in spite of the band director's statement that "girls can't play the trombone." After graduating in 1958 she went to Winthrop College in Rock Hill, SC where she received her bachelor's degree in English Literature in 1964.
She married Art Ellis, a journalist, on Aug. 14, 1964 in a ceremony at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte where they were both members. They lived in Columbia, SC, Gastonia and Chapel Hill, NC before settling in Charlotte in 1970. They traveled frequently including trips abroad to places like London, Dublin and to Slovakia where their daughter Elizabeth was a volunteer English teacher for a year to teach English to Slovakians.
Diannah loved her gardening and trips to the beach and mountains. To pick up a little extra income she and a woman friend formed a business in the early 1980s by driving a truck to Louisiana on several occasions where they would buy up to 500 pounds of shrimp and then drive back to Charlotte to sell the shrimp to friends and others. The Charlotte Observer published a feature story about their business.
An accomplished pianist Diannah also received her master's degree in Human Development and Learning in 1980 from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After graduation, she went on to establish a successful practice as a psychotherapist where she supported countless clients with her skill, wisdom, presence, confidence in them and authenticity.
At Myers Park Baptist she was a lay leader and teacher and was elected in 1995 as only the second female chair of the board of deacons in the church's 52-year history She led with the fierce love she exemplified in all parts of her life - with a strong commitment and call to live into a more authentic and faithful life individually and collectively. Part of her goal was to help lay leaders work with the clergy.
Diannah established a successful practice as a psychotherapist in Charlotte and continued her duties as teacher and lay leader at Myers Park Baptist.
She and Art moved to Durham in 2009 to be closer to their daughters and their families and she commuted to Charlotte for several years to continue her practice. They both joined Watts Street Baptist Church in Durham where both their daughters were members.
In her final week, her family stayed close by her side and drew closer together, surrounding her with the love she had so freely given. She died peacefully at home on Feb. 4, 2020 holding her husband's hand. while surrounded by family and hospice nurses. In her final minutes on earth husband Art laid down beside her and said his last goodbye.
In honor of her efforts to teach, support and encourage lay leaders, to become legitimate aids to the clergy her family is establishing the Diannah Champion Ellis Fund to provide leadership development opportunities and training for women lay leaders of the church.
Two memorial services are planned. The first will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 7 at Watts Street Baptist in Durham and the second will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 14 at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte.
The family is being assisted by Clements Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. in Durham. Online condolences may be sent to www.clementsfuneralservice.com.