Obituary: John Pope Ellis

Former Virginia Trial Lawyers Association president and retired Northern Virginia attorney John Pope Ellis died April 7. He was 91.

Born in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Mr. Ellis spent his childhood in Western Pennsylvania before attending Allegheny College.

Mr. Ellis subsequently joined the U.S. Navy as an underwater EOD officer in Hawaii and Japan. He retired at the rank of lieutenant commander in 1968 after 12 years of service.

Following his military service, Mr. Ellis earned his law degree from George Washington University. He then began a 30-plus year law career in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., specializing in medical malpractice and personal injury law.

During his career, Mr. Ellis was a partner in the firms of Schwartz and Ellis and later Sher, Cummings and Ellis. He also served as president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association in 1994-95 and was a cofounder of the Arlington County Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the bar.

In retirement, Mr. Ellis was active in Rappahannock Legal Services, continuing a career-long passion for championing legal services for the indigent. He was also a supporter of Operation Smile and traveled overseas with the charity.

Away from work, Mr. Ellis was an accomplished athlete who completed eight marathons in his life. He also enjoyed skiing and hiking around Crested Butte, Colorado, where he vacationed and later resided.

Mr. Ellis is survived by his wife, Mary; his daughter, Cathy; his stepdaughters, Giulia and Claudia; his sister, Mary; his nieces, Cynthia and Julie; and his nephews, Brian and Ken.