Gary Dee Ellington passed away on Jan. 2, 2015, at the age of 62. He was born to Howard and Oleta (Skinner) Ellington on March 12, 1952 in Wichita, Kansas. The family later moved to Yale, OK, where he graduated from Yale High School in 1970.
Gary attended OSU for one semester. He then moved to Washington D.C. to work for the FBI in the fingerprint identification dept. During his time in the East, he graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. He moved to Houston in 1977 and worked for several years as a sales representative.
Gary moved with his family to Newhall, CA, in1987. Always looking for new experiences, Gary spent a season working as an extra on the series “Sledgehammer” and other tv shows and movies. He enjoyed the excitement, but decided to move on to something more serious. He enrolled in law school and graduated from Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1990. Gary was a member of the Southwestern Law Review and graduated #1 in his class. After graduation he became an associate of the law firm Marrone, Robinson, Frederick, & Foster located in Burbank, CA. At the time of his death, he was the managing partner of the firm and living in Castaic, CA.
Gary loved all sports. Fishing, kayaking, sailing, and snow skiing were some of his favorites. He loved to take friends, family, and Callie, his springer spaniel, to his cabin in Big Bear, CA, to hike and enjoy the mountains. He enjoyed traveling to Europe and many tropical destinations. He never stopped coming to Oklahoma to visit. His family loved every minute of his time spent here. When we played Trivial Pursuit, he always won because his memory was remarkable. We finally “misplaced” that game! Gary had a sharp sense of humor and kept everyone laughing. He was attentive to his nieces and nephews and held a special place in their hearts. He was a wonderful father and grandfather and still found time to stay close to his parents and sisters and their families. We will miss him everyday for the rest of our lives.
Survivors include: his parents, the love of his life, Michaela; daughters Nicole Ellington of Castaic, CA, Melissa Mustamandy (Huvishka) of Newhall, CA, Jeanette Yamamoto (Jeremy) of Castaic, CA; grandchildren Ellee and Justin Yamamoto, Carlin and Jackson Mustamandy; sisters Debbie Coke of Owasso, OK, and Karen Hornberger (Rick) of Glencoe, OK, along with many other family and friends.
A Memorial Service will be held on Jan. 25, 2015, at 2:00 pm, at the First United Methodist Church in Yale, OK. Refreshments will be served after the service in the Fellowship Hall downstairs.
Services have been entrusted to the Palmer Marler Funeral Home, Yale, OK.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society or the charity of your choice.
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