Thomas "Tom" R. Ellison

Thomas R. Ellison, 63, of Grand Island died Sunday, July 27, 2014, at his home.

Graveside services will be at 2:00 P.M. Tuesday, July 29, 2014, at the Grand Island Cemetery.

There will be no visitation. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Thomas R. Ellison was born August 21, 1950, at Lincoln, NE to Billy M. and Margaret (McKinney) Ellison. He grew up and attended school in Bellevue graduating from Bellevue High School in 1968.

Tom married Elizabeth Betsy Johnston on November 24, 1972, at Scottsbluff, NE. They lived in the Omaha area until moving to the Chicago area where Tom worked as a computer programmer specializing in translating computer language. They moved to Grand Island in 1981 and Tom was self-employed as a computer programmer.

He was recognized with three awards from Microsoft for his expertise within his profession.

His interests included sailing on his sailboat and he also loved to garden.

Survivors include his wife, Betsy Ellison of Grand Island; his father, Bill Ellison of Omaha; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Scott Ellison of Grand Island and Jeremiah and Enny Ellison of Central City; two daughters and sons-in-law, Rachael and Dustin Jenkins of Mitchell, NE and Sarah and Greg Martin of Grand Island; eight grandchildren and one sister and brother-in-law, Kathy & Mike Garvey of Omaha.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Ellison.