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Fleming, Ellis G.

October 15, 1935 –
 March 14, 2019

Obituary

“Let me live in a house by the side of the road and be a friend to man.” (Sam Walter Foss)

Ellis Gray Fleming of Pensacola, Florida, died March 14, 2019, at 12: 19 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas. He was 83. Mr. Fleming loved politics, old westerns, babies, witty remarks, Scotch whisky, singing little nothing songs and his family. He was born Oct. 15, 1935, in rural Clark County, Alabama, to C.J. and Mary Lou Fleming. He grew up in the tiny community of Salitpa and loved telling people he was from LA (Lower Alabama). I’d rather have somebody tell a lie about me than the truth. You can defend a lie. You can’t defend the truth.” He attended Jackson High School and was working as a DJ at a radio station in Coffeeville when he was offered a better paying job in the lab at Geigy Chemical Corporation in McIntosh. It was a move that would change his life forever. As part of that job, he was asked to enroll at Auburn University, then Alabama Polytechnic Institute, and study chemical engineering while continuing to work at Geigy as a co-op student. “I’m trying to swim through the waters of life without making a ripple while everybody else is doing cannon balls.” The lab at Geigy is where he met Mary Frances Palmer, a young chemist who recently had graduated from Alabama State College for Women in Montevallo. They married on Dec. 20, 1958. After graduating from Auburn, Mr. Fleming went on to spend 35 years as a manager in the chemical industry in Pensacola and Telogia, Florida; Bay Minette, Alabama; and Oakdale, Louisiana. In 1983, he was transferred by Reichhold Chemicals back to Pensacola, where he stayed until retirement in 1995. “I spent my life climbing the ladder of success and got within two or three rungs from the top only to realize it was propped against the wrong wall.” Retirement gave him time to devote to another of his passions: tinkering. He opened Fleming’s Gun Repair on Pine Forest Road. He had the shop for 19 years and turned it into a gathering place for people who loved hunting, arguing and shooting the bull. His wife died in 2013, just weeks before their 55th anniversary, and Mr. Fleming never fully recovered from his grief. “You’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt. And be thankful you’ve got a seat at the table to draw some cards.” For the past two years, he spent most of his time with his daughters in Fort Worth and Rockledge, Florida. Mr. Fleming was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Palmer Fleming; his parents, Caleb J. and Mary Lou Fleming; and brothers Cleve, Jack and Bobbie Joe Fleming. He is survived by daughters Mary “Sam” Fleming of Fort Worth, Suzy Fleming Leonard of Rockledge and Pat Fleming Anderson of Fort Worth; grandchildren Tyler Anderson and Miranda Reese of Fort Worth and Trent Anderson of Auburn, Alabama; sons-in-law Gary Anderson and Steve Leonard; and many brothers- and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity of Pensacola. A memorial service is being planned for this summer. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website. Arrangements are under the direction of: Aria Cremation Service & Funeral Home 1820 N. Belt Line Road Irving, Texas 75061 972-607-4400  

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

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  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
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      972-573-1008
 

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