James Ellsworth

James Valon Ellsworth, II, age 71, died May 5, 2024. James was born at McCray Hospital in Kendallville, Indiana on June 16, 1952 to the late James Valon Ellsworth, I and Carol Ethel (Sharp) Ellsworth. 

James is survived by his daughter, Sarah Ellsworth of Fort Wayne and his son, James Valon "Jack" Ellsworth, III, also of Fort Wayne; and two sisters, Maureen VanWinkle of Pretty Lake and Cathy Eshelman of Sylvan Lake.

A sensitive soul with a unique sense of humor and perspective, James is remembered for his long hair, fighting spirit, and love of life’s simple indulgences. He was an original musician, a dancer, a lover of good food & wine, a poet, and reader.  He enjoyed cooking lemony- garlic chicken with *perfect* coals on the grill, tending his vegetable garden, mimicking bird calls, and telling stories. He was a driver of traditions & ritual. It was important that we played the “No Name Game” (a cornhole-like game created by his father) and the infamous family card game, TONK. There were sentimental movies, shows, and books quoted often. He sent an annual Groundhogs Day card. He loved many animals in his life, but Morpheus the Cat was especially important to him on the lake. He was a lover of natural beauty, finding charm and importance in people, media & language.

James graduated from Prairie Heights High School and Indiana University in Bloomington with a BFA in Design. He played a variety of sports, including track, golf, basketball, football, and rugby between the two institutions. He spoke fondly of hanging out in Dunn Meadow with friends. His favorite job was in the IU theatre department creating stage sets. He enjoyed the task of mixing large vats of powder paints with liquid to make mesmerizing solutions. Mixing Prussian Blue was an exceptionally euphoric experience.

In work, he had summer jobs in construction and landscaping. But the majority of his career was in graphic design. James was a Graphic Designer with ICON for over 20 years, designing hundreds of unique exhibits for tradeshows. After he freelanced his artistic skills until retirement. His design work took him all over the country and he enjoyed travelling. Favorite places included Colorado, California, and Michigan, especially Beaver Island, as well as vacations to Ireland, England, and Italy. 

Beaver Island, Michigan was a significantly magical place for James as a young man, and later he shared this spot with his children as a prominent and enchanted vacation destination. They created countless magical summer memories through jumping off sand dunes, exploring the woods, beach combing, and swimming in Lake Michigan.  James was confident that there was a paranormal healing ability about the island.

In his retirement, James was more so known as a Pretty Lake Hermit. He loved his lake house in the woods and decorated it with brightly colored accents, vintage string lights, and copious amounts of original art. A pseudo bachelor pad filled with memories of his travels and adventures. He liked walking and biking around the lake and tending to his menagerie of plants. He grew yellow sun baby tomatoes, as well as green beans and squashes. He adored Dogwood trees and Coleus. He chopped his own firewood and found comfort in being near his warm woodstove. As much time as he spent travelling, he was the happiest at his home in a comfortable chair exploring new worlds in a good book.

James fervently despised the idiocy of corrupt politicians and government. He always made time to vote and got involved in grassroots politics. He even created his own original yard signage to share his rebellious voice. Memorable signs said: “Stand up to Fascism” and “Dispose the Orange-Faced Buffoon.” Unapologetic about his views and always ready to discuss local or world issues.
A man with a unique, but at times dark view of the world, he expressed his feelings through songwriting. Music was a massive part of James’s life. He loved music- playing it loud on the stereo or in his beloved car Fugly (a swamp green Honda Element). He had an excellent sense of rhythm, cleanly drumming his hands to any music that perked his goat. 
He was part of numerous bands, including Fox Fire, A Graven Image, The Dynasorrows, Lizzie eHoff and her Cough, and of course, CLUSTERFOLK. He started and ran the Pretty Lake Acoustic Music Festival (PLAMF) at the Pretty Lake Conservation Club for several years. Whether he played solo or with a talented group of friends, many of the songs were written by James. During his lifetime, he finished three original music albums: Heart on Sleeve in 2006, Circle the Wagons in 2011, and Flinging Woo in 2019. His music was balanced between autobiographical and whimsical on a neo-folk-backwoods-psychedelia platter. 

An injury to his right wrist and resulting numbness steered him towards a predominantly finger-picking style, inspired by Leo Kottke. His early influences were the Everly Brothers, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, James Taylor and others of that genre due to the melodious vocals and slick harmonies with folk sensibilities. As his song writing matured, lyric content and slightly skewed story telling became a major component. He dove into artists like Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull), Loreena McKennitt, Lyle Lovette, and Peter Gabriel for their earthy surrealism. His musical inspiration list was pleasantly never-ending as he was a man full of stories and song. A perfectionist, he at times was his harshest critic, but is/was known amongst his peers as a very talented artist & performer. 

One of James’s biggest wishes was to live on through his music and he shared his music whenever he could as a form of legacy. He was very proud of his Ellsworth Clan, and of his kids and their own artistic endeavors. He was blessed with many creative, loving, and wise friends he felt he didn’t deserve. He wore his heart on his sleeve, had an elaborately creative mind, and a complex personality. Contrary to his beliefs, James was loved, and he will be greatly missed. F#@k Cancer.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Sunday June 23, 2024, 2pm-6pm, at the Pretty Lake Conservation Club.

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