Sylacauga, AL - On February 8, 2022, Rodie Greenwell Ellison, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, went to be with her Lord and Savior. She was 89 years old. She is preceded in death by her husband, Jimmy Austin Ellison; her son, Richie L. Ellison; her parents, Joseph Leonard and Ruby Louise Greenwell; her brothers Leonard Hobson Greenwell, Prather Greenwell, Henry Greenwell, Jimmy Roger Greenwell; and sisters, Hautie Frye and Autry Roys who were twins, and Bonnie Greenwell,
She is survived by her loving children, Gayle Ellison Jones (Sammy) of Dadeville and Gray Ellison (Kim) of Sylacauga; five grandchildren she cherished: Leslie Jones Crawford, Au.D., (Kevin); Jim P. Ellison, MD; Steven L. Ellison; J. Alan Ellison (Pearson); and C. David Ellison, PharmD, (Madison); and three great grandchildren she adored: Mac and Ann Ellison Crawford; and Beau Ellison.
Rodie was a proud 1951 graduate of B. B. Comer Memorial High School, a school she loved dearly. During her time as a student she was a cheerleader, homecoming sponsor and a soloist in the choir. She had the most beautiful soprano voice and she sang in the choir and in numerous ensembles all over the southeast with the goal of establishing music programs in schools. She was especially proud of the time her ensemble group, The Nonchalants, sang at the Alabama Theater as the opening act for Ginger Rogers.
While raising her children, she was an avid supporter of their activities, serving as a B. B. Comer Band Booster and PTA President and Sylacauga Little League Ladies Auxiliary President. She loved sports, and was a very vocal supporter of the B. B. Comer Tigers, the Auburn Tigers, and the Atlanta Braves. Adventures she loved to recall were attending a Braves game and sitting in box seats behind Ted Turner, and attending an Auburn-Alabama game with grandson Steven.
After retiring from Avondale Mills as a billing clerk, she enjoyed traveling the United States. She loved to tell of her trip to Israel and her second baptism in the Jordan River. She made beautiful hand stitched quilts, giving away many to friends and family. She volunteered for numerous years helping Luther Barnett cook Wednesday supper at Marble City Baptist, her beloved church, with her main job being the potato peeler of hundreds of pounds of potatoes during those years. She also served on the church school board for a number of years. As an eleven year on-going survivor of mantle cell lymphoma, she was a vocal supporter of South Talladega County Relay for Life, participating every year in the survivor dinner and the relay activities. She loved walking around the stadium track each year, being recognized as a survivor and supporting others on the same journey.
Rodie was a wonderful cook. She loved to prepare food for bereaved families and many have enjoyed her fried chicken, turnip greens, crappie and hushpuppies, chocolate and pecan pies, and deviled eggs. Her potato salad recipe will always be known as Mama A’s potato salad. Over the last thirty years and until just a couple of years ago, she supplied many people with pecans she picked and shelled from the trees around her home.
Without a doubt, Rodie loved her Lord, her family, her church and her country. The family would like to express heartfelt love and thanks to her wonderful friend, Elsie Stewart, to whom she spoke almost every day on the phone; Dr. Luigi Bertolli, her caring Brookwood oncologist for eleven years; and to Four Mile Farms/Pete Baker, for being her farmer friend keeping her supplied with fresh vegetables for many years.
Visitation will be Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Radney Smith Funeral Home from 12:30-2:00 pm with the funeral to follow at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Marble City Baptist Church 1512 Quarry Road, Sylacauga 35151, or your home church.
Memorial messages may be sent to the family at www.dignitymemorial.com/funeral-homes/sylacauga-al/radney-smith-funeral-home/8516.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga, AL will direct the services.
