Ellis was born November 7, 1952 in Gainesville, Florida to Nathaniel and Viola Rowe.  He was raised in a family of six children. As the only brother with five sisters, he quickly acquired the negotiation skills necessary to succeed in life. He was fortunate to inherit his work ethic from his father and his scholastic aptitude from his mother.  Both skills were essential in the classroom as well as contributed to his success in the boardroom.  In his family's home, there was a strong emphasis on the value of education.  Therefore, in 1967, Ellis' parents selflessly sent him northeast to Andover, Massachusetts from Florida for the opportunity to participate in "A Better Chance" program for his high school years. As a participant in that program, he made many visits to the Dartmouth campus, where he later applied, was accepted, and matriculated to in the fall of 1970.

As a Dartmouth undergraduate, Ellis remained engaged in "A Better Chance" program through the Tucker Foundation and paid it forward by tutoring locally and hosting participants from Andover.  While on campus he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, Casque and Gauntlet senior society, and the African American Society. Furthermore, he was a superb athlete contributing as a member of the track team and playing on four consecutive Ivy League championship football teams. Ellis majored in mathematics, and later decided to spend the winter term on an exchange program at the University of California, San Diego. It was there that he met an extraordinary student, named Antoinette Johnson.  Following graduation in the spring of 1974, he returned to California to marry her!

Ellis' professional career began in California with the Mobil Oil Corporation, later moving on to Max Factor & Co. In 1977, he joined a division of Mars Inc., where his career soared over the next 30 years.  He served in 20 staff and line jobs that ultimately led him to Group President of Mars Drinks Group and Mars Developing Pet Care.  During this period, Ellis and his family crisscrossed the country, with multiple stops in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia, before returning to his home state of Florida, where he retired.

Education, service, and mentoring were common themes that Ellis continued to invest his time and treasure in.  The breadth and quality of his outstanding volunteerism on behalf of Dartmouth College was one of his proudest. Ellis served as president of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association, chair of the Nominating and Alumni Trustee Search Committee and chair of the Tucker Foundation Board of Visitors. He also was an Enrollment Interviewer, a member of the Executive Committee, member of his Class Reunion Giving and Reunion committees, member of the Alumni Council's Student Life Committee, and a member of the Alumni Council's Ad Hoc Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. In 2011, the College recognized him with superior service by presenting him with the Jonathan Clarkson Gibbs Leader of the Year Award.  On October 23, 2015, Ellis was presented the 2015-16 Dartmouth Alumni Award at the 211th Alumni Council Session. In addition to those awards for service, Ellis was honored on June 25, 2016 by the Brownsville Community in Miami, FL with the 2016 Home Grown Achievers Award.

Ellis enjoyed hobbies such as golf, traveling and photography.  He loved photography most as he enjoyed capturing memories of his family and friends and then sharing them via picture books, slide shows and videos.  He always did whatever it took to give us all a good laugh!

Family and friends were very important to Ellis.  He believed that lasting relationships were built over good food, great people and shared experiences.  Over the past 10 years, he hosted the Family and Friends Celebration, where he invited family, friends, neighbors and colleagues from all over the country to join him at various cities across America for fun and fellowship.

Of all of his accolades, his greatest accomplishment was his family. He was preceded in death by his father Nathaniel Rowe in 1992, his older sister (Teresa Matthews) in 1996, and his mother Viola Rowe in 2014. Ellis is survived by his wife of nearly 43 years, Antoinette Rowe; sons, Marcus Rowe (Entrice), Nicholas Rowe, and Ryan Rowe (Heather); six grandchildren, Christopher, Courtney, Clayton, Chelsea, Nathan and Natalie; four sisters, Myra Rowe, Joyce Rowe, Cynthia Thomas (Donell) and Andrea Rowe; Uncles, Curtis Rowe and Fred Rowe (Tracy); Aunts Edna Brown and Lillie Bell Rowe; father-in-law Maurice Johnson; sister-in-law Judith Johnson; brothers-in-law Maurice Johnson Jr. and Winchell Campbell; and a host of cousins, nieces and nephews.