Ralph Clarence Ellis

TEMPE – Ralph Clarence Ellis, 69, of Tempe, AZ passed away May 2, 2022. Ralph was born November 29, 1952 in Phoenix, AZ to Donald Lee Ellis and Marvene Zoe Shill Ellis. As a boy, Ralph enjoyed school, tennis and spending time with his dog, Lassie. Ralph was a top student at Tempe High School. At 17, he made local headlines after being suspended from school due to his long “page boy” hairstyle. A Superior Court judge ruled that his right to wear shoulder-length hair is guaranteed by the First Amendment. Like both of his parents, he earned his undergraduate degree from Arizona State University. Ralph’s passion for social justice, particularly for workers’ rights, transferred to his activism in labor unions throughout New York City during the 1970s. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University and remained enthusiastic about the law throughout the rest of his life. Ralph loved folk music, cats, gardening, and reading historical texts, particularly ones about the lives of political revolutionaries. Ralph is survived by the mother of his children, Asuncion O. Ellis of Phoenix; his daughter, Dr. Raquel M. Ellis (Ricky), of Tempe; his son Gary L. Ellis (Kaitlyn) of Phoenix; his brother Donald Lee Ellis, Jr. of Los Angeles; his sister Rebecca Appel of Durango, CO, as well as four grandchildren: Lillian, James, Jack, and Nora. In lieu of flowers, consider sending memorial donations to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Valley of the Sun) or Andre House of Arizona. Services will be private.