Ellis Edward Booth

Ellis Edward Booth, of Heath, passed away the afternoon of December 5, 2020, at the age of 55. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Debbie (Yochheim) Booth, children, Madison Booth & Payton Booth, and younger brother, Mike Booth. He is preceded in death by his parents, Edward Booth & Brenda (Hankins) Booth and grandparents Clifford Hankins and Mildred (Wheeler) Hankins. A private, socially - distanced memorial service for the family will be held this week with a service for the community to follow in the future. Ellis, E, or EB to family and friends, was the first child born to Ed and Brenda Booth of Columbus, OH, on Dec 21, 1964. Ed worked as a geologist for AEP, and the family moved around to several states including Michigan and Ohio, landing them in Ravenswood, West Virginia for Ellis’s high school years. Ellis was a member of the football, basketball, and baseball teams at Ravenswood High School. He went on to study Social Studies at The Ohio State University, later earning his masters of education at Ashland University. During the summer of 1989 while Debbie was teaching in Newcomerstown, OH, Ellis was hired on to teach social studies at the middle school. While moving in boxes, he was nudged by his grandfather to get to know the “pretty young lady” that passed his new window. After many neighborly visits and several car rides in his cool, white, t-top Camaro the two started dating, sneaking in conversations at school when they could. They weren’t very successful, and their school peers soon found out about their now serious relationship. Debbie and Ellis then moved to Fayetteville, North Carolina together in 1990 where Ellis was the seventh grade North Carolina history teacher and coed middle school soccer coach. Worried about choosing the right ring, Ellis uneventfully proposed to Debbie in the first fall at Fayetteville after shopping together for engagement rings. The two were married on the hottest day of the year on July 20, 1991 at East Chippewa Church of the Brethren in Orrville, OH, near Debbie’s hometown. The two moved to London, Ohio, in 1992. Ellis was the in-school suspension monitor and coached football, baseball, and girls basketball. It was in London where Ellis met Mark Collier while coaching football. The two became friends, then including Debbie and Mark’s wife Chris, with whom they would become close. After four years of marriage, they welcomed their first child, Madison, in April of 1995, on Debbie’s birthday and Easter Sunday. The family moved to Delaware, OH, in 1997, where Ellis taught social studies and coached baseball. With the help of their neighbors, Jan and Reg Hollinger, Debbie decided to stay home to raise Madison. They welcomed Payton three years later in January of 1998. The family stayed in Delaware until 2001, when Mark Collier mentioned an opening for an Athletic Director/Assistant Principal position to Ellis at Heath High School in Heath, OH. Ellis got the job and the family became bulldogs. The following years saw cheerleading and baseball camps, band and choir performances, youth group activities, 4-H meetings, and countless other extracurricular activities, OSU football games, camping trips, history-inspired road trips, a trip to Disneyworld, and more. The family spent Christmas Eve with Ellis’s relatives where much frustration was expressed over the amount of twist ties in childrens’ toy packaging, and Christmas Day with Debbie’s. The family got a black lab named Reagan who was really the third child and a member of the family for 11 years. Ellis coached many of Payton’s sporting teams, including little league baseball and basketball. He attended every play and concert that Madison was involved in, and he shook both of their hands at their high school graduations. The family spent a lot of their time around the high school and as an integral part of the bulldog community. After graduating from Heath High School, Madison went on to Kent State University. Madison later pursued theatre and is currently finishing up her B.F.A in costume design at the University of Maryland. Payton played baseball at Mount Vernon Nazarene University which led to many summers that Ellis and Debbie spent on the road attending tournaments and visiting high points along the way. From 2006 - 2008 Ellis juggled the roles of athletic director, assistant principal, and principal until hiring Trevor Thomas as AD/AP in 2007. The two became very close as Ellis aided in Trevor’s transition to the role, assuming his own role as HHS principal and father figure to Mr. Thomas. In his time as principal Ellis was responsible for running the annual district wrestling tournament, the beautification of the hallways with murals and school activity photos, and the Heath High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Mr Thomas eventually moved on to becoming the district’s superintendent, and with the help of Ellis, the school district hired then - freshman English teacher Kat Fields in 2016 as the new high school principal, to whom Ellis also served as mentor. Mr. Booth was able to return to his true calling as athletic director, being responsible for the new victory bell at the football field and his passion project, the new turf football field. Up front, Ellis was known for his quiet, professional demeanor, but everyone he opened up to appreciated his quick sarcastic wit, his never-ending wisdom, and objective advice. Truly a well-rounded individual, Ellis loved yelling at a television football game as much as he loved singing along to his favorite musical, West Side Story. He loved Debbie, the outdoors and his Pudelpointer puppy, Henry. He dreamed of traveling the country in his rooftop tent, seeing more mountains and high points, hunting, and fishing. His support of Payton and Madison in their endeavors was never ending, and his love for Heath athletics was clearly reflected in his work. Ellis’s family would like to extend a special thank you to David and Donna Linn of Heath Church of Christ for his support and council during this time. The family would like to thank the medical staff at Licking Memorial who worked directly to care for Ellis as if he were their own family. Last but not least, the Booth family would like to give a huge thank you to the Heath Bulldog community and school district for their continuous love and support. In Ellis’s memory, in lieu of sympathetic gifts, donations may be made to the Heath Athletics Boosters in his name for use in future projects.