I was saddened to receive this note about Ellis Doughty:
I believe the information was adapted from one of Ellis' resumes.Ellis Doughty DOB 04/03 1939 in Moran, Kansas, to November 13, 2008 San Jose Costa Rica
Ellis learned sign trade at a night school taught by self-taught instructor O L Cruzan in Tulsa. In his second year of school Ellis had advanced to be O L’s helper on jobs and in class.
Ellis learned sign trade at a night school taught by self-taught instructor O L Cruzan in Tulsa. In his second year of school Ellis had advanced to be O L’s helper on jobs and in class.
Joined the US Army in 1961 and was assigned to northern Maine with the Missile Air Defense Command and then served in Panama until discharged in 1964.
Ellis returned to Tulsa, Ok and worked with Neon Electric Sign with Larry Caves and Modern Sign Company. Later Ellis met and worked with Harry Davenport at Ace High Sign. Ellis said most of his knowledge came from Harry. “Harry was good, and he always knew the shortest way to do a job… stop and look the work for 15 minutes plan it and then do it! Fast is good”. Ellis said he did this his whole professional career.
After three years Ellis worked in his own garage and started to do race cars and custom cars. When Leonard Wren bought a new building and was using the state of the art machine called the ARTOGRAPH, Ellis worked with him. While working with Leonard, Ellis could layout and paint an 8 by 12 in 4 hours flat…”fast is good”.
Leonard Wren gave Ellis his client business list in 1973, with the client list Ellis rented the corner of shop from the Neon Shop, which was the start of the very successful Western Sign in downtown Tulsa.
Ellis stayed in Oklahoma until 1984, when he sold Western Sign he moved to Florida and worked with world famous A M Design in Miami Florida for some years, and then with Renee Anderson in Marathon, Florida (in the Keys) for short time.
Ellis free lanced in Miami until 1991 when he started work with Dade County (Miami) in Traffic Sign Department. Within a year Ellis was transferred to Parks Sign Department where he began to do more conventional signs. Ellis work can still be seen all over the parks in Miami and Dade County. Ellis retired in 2004 and moved Okalahoma for the summers and spent the 6-months of winter in Costa Rica.
In 2008 Ellis moved to the Vista Linda in San Jose, Costa Rica permanently, doing painting of the people he loves.
Ellis won many Signs of Times International Design contests, spoke at NESA meetings (ISA) and was a many time winner of Okalahoma Sign Assoc. contests.
Ellis was host of the 4th Letterhead Meeting “The Atkinson Birthday Party” in Tulsa in and attended many Letterhead events thru out his life. Ellis was a true Letterhead; he always shared his knowledge and expertise.
His Mother, brother, a son, a daughter and three grand children, survives him.
I haven't seen Ellis in a long time. He was truly a great guy with a wonderful spirit. There are probably quite a few people here who met him at the early Letterheads meetings.
M. Jackson
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads