Donald S. Ellis

Don Ellis, a visionary publisher, devoted patron of the arts, and a man who lived life to its absolute fullest, passed away peacefully at the age of 84. A Berkeley guy through and through, Don left an indelible mark on the literary world and the hearts of everyone who knew him. He would often say, “You’ll miss me when I’m gone” and those words feel profoundly true today.

Born in Virginia on August 6, 1941, Don was the eldest of four children. Early on, Don’s father, a man he admired to no end, moved the family to California so he could attend UC Berkeley’s medical school. Don’s father was a true polymath—not just a dedicated psychiatrist, but a brilliant maker who could build anything with his hands, from a radio to hand carving an exquisite gemstone. While Don inherited that renaissance quality from his father, he remained incredibly close with his mother, Edith, until her passing. She wasn’t an artist herself, but rather a profoundly gentle woman whose unconditional love provided the nurturing space that allowed Don’s artistic passions to flourish.

For over 35 years, Don was the driving force behind Creative Arts Book Company, a publishing house in Berkeley, California. In the early years, the roar of large printing presses filled the building, churning out prints for his local community. He proudly published legendary, counterculture voices, including William Saroyan, Allen Ginsberg, Gertrude Stein, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Tony Serra.

But Creative Arts was more than a publishing house; it was a cultural hub. Don ensured he was always surrounded by his deepest loves: books, art and community. He built an art studio right inside the publishing building, transforming it into a salon where he hosted vibrant art shows, always alive with a classic Berkeley crowd, live jazz and a full bar.

Don did not just exist; he vibrated at a higher frequency. He was a man of distinct, eclectic and classic tastes. He was happiest when driving a vintage Cadillac, smoking a fine cigar, listening to Elvis, sipping a perfectly chilled gin martini or simply appreciating the beauty of the world—which included his unabashed admiration for naked women, of whom he loved to paint portraits. He treasured being a neighborhood regular at East Bay institutions like Spengers, Trader Vic’s, The Gilman Grill, Brennan’s and Fat Apple’s. He had an obsession with reading every single newspaper each morning, tackling the daily crosswords beside his wife Lizzy and always saved the funnies for the little girl who lived next door.

Don delighted in life’s specific little pleasures: strong black coffee from Peet’s, maple walnut ice cream, an excessive amount of butter on his bread, Double Bubble bubble gum and watching The Lone Ranger. He possessed a deep belly laugh when watching physical comedy, and thoroughly cherished his regular poker nights, always coming home with the sweet afterscent of a good cigar. His curiosity about the world was also captured in miniature through his robust, lifelong love for stamp collecting, assembling a magnificent, sprawling collection from every country in the world.

A lifelong lover of words, Don appreciated all types of poetry. He particularly loved the A.A. Milne collection from the book When We Were Very Young, which he often read aloud to his children. For birthdays and holidays, he never wanted traditional store-bought gifts, asking his family instead for a simple rock found in a special location or a hand-written poem. Later in life, his passion for storytelling found yet another medium when a lifelong love of musicals—Gilbert & Sullivan and Rodgers & Hammerstein, among others—inspired him to pour his creativity into writing a musical with a friend, a beautiful reflection of his ongoing artistic evolution.

While his life was creatively grand, Don also felt extremely lucky to have a large, beautifully complex family. He adored his unique family of eight children, which earned him the affectionate nickname “Moses” from his wife, Lizzy, due to the sheer number of kids. He is survived by seven of them, having tragically lost his son, Dan, in 2009. Though his children were born to four different mothers, Don possessed a rare gift for inclusivity, making everyone across different eras of his life feel welcome at one dinner table. No matter how much time passed or where they were in life, he always signed his notes to his kids the exact same way: “From your father who loves you.”

The anchor of his life was his cherished wife, Lizzy. Together, they shared over 40 devoted years of marriage and raised two daughters. Lizzy survives him as his widow, holding the legacy of a love that endured. Don’s memory also lives on through his brother Eric and sisters Nancy and Bindy, his 7 children, Jennifer, David, Ginger, Aaron, Marian, Katie and Rosie, 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Don’s extraordinarily rich life will be held at a later date, fittingly filled with jazz, stories and a toast to a man who never did anything halfway. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you buy a book from an independent book store, listen to the songs of Les Misérables or sip a Bombay martini in his honor.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” — Oscar Wilde

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