HERBERT P. ELLIOTT

SEARSPORT – Herbert “Jack” P. Elliott Jr., 85, died March 22, 2006, at the Maine Veteran’s Home, Bangor. He was born May 26, 1920, in Louisville, Ky.. to the late Grace Seiler Elliott and Herbert P. Elliott. Jack was reared in Pelham, N.Y., attending the Pelham schools and graduating from Pelham High School. He was a runner and ran in the Penn Relays, priding himself on the Penn Relay watch that he won back in the 1930’s and that still works to this day. He graduated with a degree in business administration from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. Jack flew 444 missions in the combined wars of World War II and the Korean War. He was a B-24 pilot, flying the European Theatre in World War II and a P-51 pilot during the Korean War. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross; Air Medal with four Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with one Silver Service Star and two Bronze Service Stars; National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. A “green” person, he bucked the trend of driving everywhere, instead biking to work and to friends and for shopping. Nor would he use chemicals on his lawn to rid of weeds. In lieu thereof, Jack was generally spotted on his knees “digging out the weeds” in his lawn. A great conversationalist, Jack had tales to tell with remarkable detail – and enthralled all with his stories. In 1992 he and Nancy-Linn Nellis of Snyder County, Pa., were married in All Saints Episcopal Church, Storm Lake, Iowa. As both had a long time desire to live in Maine, they moved to Calais in the summer of 1993, where they opened a B & B entitled Watchtide. That home burned down and they then moved to Searsport, purchasing the old College Club Inn and transforming it to a well known B & B under the name of 1794 Watchtide by the Sea! Predeceased by his brother, Richard; and his father and mother. Jack leaves his wife, Nancy-Linn Nellis of Stockton Springs, formerly of Searsport; his goddaughters, Kristin Thayer of Storm Lake, Iowa and Marshall Ballou of Ridgefield, Conn. He shall be sorely missed by Mary Lou Freeman of Storm Lake, Iowa; Mark Freeman of Lititz, Pa., Sara Freeman Rekow of Chaska, Minn., Cary Freeman Friedrich of Alta, Iowa and Maret Freeman Ashley, of Portland, and Susan Thayer and daughters, Kim and Kristin of Storm Lake, Iowa. Jack shall always be remembered as a gentleman and a gentle soul who loved children and animals. Friends may call 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, for a gathering at Young Funeral Home, 31 West Main St., Searsport. Interment will be at Glendale Cemetery, Middleburg, Pa., at some time in the future. In remembrance of Jack, friends may make contributions to the expansion program of the Waldo County General Hospital, P.O. Box 287, Belfast, ME 04915 or to New Hope Hospice, Inc., P.O. Box 757, Holden, ME 04429. Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-spit clouds-and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of-wheeled and soared and swung High is the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew- And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God. -John Gillespie Magee, Jr.