Ellington Ernest Churchill Sr.
- Howell Funeral Homes
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 38 minutes ago
Viewing
Thursday, July 9, 2026| 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Howell Funeral Home| 10220 Guilford Road| Jessup, Maryland 20794|
Service
Friday, July 10, 2026|Wake: 10:00 a.m. |Service: 11:00 a.m.
Metropolitan United Methodist Church| 548 Queenstown Road| Severn, Maryland 21144
Interment
Warrenton, Virginia
ELLINGTON ERNEST CHURCHILL SR, 83, passed away peacefully on June 19, 2026. He was raised in Farnham, Virginia, son of the late Elwood Henry Churchill and Angeline Carter Churchill. A graduate of Virginia State College (now University), he married Gwendolyn Elayne Lewis on August 19, 1967. From this union, they bore and raised three beautiful children, Ellington Jr. (EC), Michele, and John, and both worked and retired as educators in the Anne Arundel County Public School System. Preceded in death by his wife Gwendolyn, he is survived by their children, Ellington Jr. (Shareese), Michele, and John (Angela); their grandchildren, Jina, Malik, Jonathan, Alana, Aiden, Isabella, and Avery; a great grandchild Ezra, his sister Shirley Churchill Wood, sisters-in-law A. Lorraine Jones, Linda Lewis, brother-in-law William Lewis, Jr., as well as a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, and loved ones. He is preceded in death by his beloved sister, Joyce Mack.
Ellington’s gift was playing music, inspiring young minds how to play instruments, and fostering a love of music across all genres of music. His first teaching position was the instrumental music teacher at Lunenburg High School, Lunenburg County, Virginia. Thereafter Ellington and Gwendolyn were hired as educators in Anne Arundel County Maryland. Ellington taught decades as an instrumental music school teacher at Old Mill Middle School North, where he was a mentor to many. He took great pride in his concert bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles, garnering many recognitions for excellence in the county, state, and at competitions across the country. Some of his finest moments were the yearly trip to conduct his bands in concert in the rotunda of the Maryland State House for the governor and public. Ellington loved his church family and spent many hours volunteering in his home church, Metropolitan United Methodist Church, in Severn, Maryland. In his spare time, he loved spending time outside cutting his lawn, washing and waxing his vehicles, cheering on his beloved Baltimore Orioles and Ravens, and spending time with friends and family. He will be dearly and deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
A viewing will take place at Howell Funeral Home in Jessup, Maryland, on Thursday, July 9, 2026 from 4-8PM.
Funeral services will be held at Metropolitan United Methodist Church, in Severn, Maryland on Friday, July 10, 2026. The wake will be at 10AM followed by a homegoing service at 11AM.
Metropolitan United Methodist Church
548 Queenstown Road
Severn, MD 21144
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A private internment service will be held at the Warrenton Cemetery, 110 West Lee Street, Warrenton, Virginia 20186.