Edye Ellis

Edye L. Ellis was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 23, 1943, to parents Thomas Ellis and Edythe L. Collins Ellis. Named in honor of her mother, she peacefully passed away on March 3, 2025, at Avantara Lincoln Park in Chicago, IL.

She was an only child, living with her parents and her grandparents, Charles Foster Collins and Murtle Collins, in a small frame house in the Woodlawn area of Chicago. She was very close to her late uncle and aunt, Charles R. and DeLois Collins, and her cousins, Charles R. Collins II and Robert Collins, with whom she grew up like siblings.

She graduated as co-valedictorian from Parker High School and earned her degree as valedictorian from Macalester College in Minnesota.

In 1982, she came to Knoxville to do a magazine show and report on the 1982 World’s Fair for WBIR-TV. After the Fair, she stayed on to co-anchor Action 10 News, making history as the station’s first African American anchor. 

She was a co-chair of a citizen-driven strategic planning effort called Nine Counties. One Vision. For many years, she was a dedicated member of the Board of Directors at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, where her passion and leadership made a lasting impact.

She was an accomplished artist and a pioneering woman who left an indelible mark. During her time in East Tennessee, she became a respected role model and a powerful voice for the community, inspiring countless future journalists.

A special public memorial tribute will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the Alex Haley statue in Alex Haley Heritage Square, where Rev. Reneé Kesler, president of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, will preside. Final arrangements lovingly entrusted to Jarnigan and Sons Mortuary.