In Loving Memory of Butch “Al” Fort, Ellis F. Fort, Jr. Ellis Franklin Fort Jr, born May 18, 1944, of Waldo, FL, passed away on July 25, 2020, in Gainesville, FL. He was 76 years of age.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Thursday, July 30th 2020, in the Veterans Section at Forest Meadows Cemetery East, 3700 SW Hawthorne Road, Gainesville, FL, 32641. Flowers can be sent to Forest Meadows Funeral Home at 725 NW 23rd Ave, Gainesville, FL 32606. Butch/Al was born in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 18, 1944. Butch is preceded in death by his parents Ellis F. Fort Sr, Edith V. Fort and brother Kenneth “Boo Boo” Fort. He is survived by his wife Juanita Fort of 36 years and siblings Jimmy Forte (Lois Forte) and Ronald “Ronny” Fort (Deanne Myer). While Butch and Juanita have no children together, they share children on his side, Lissa (Fort) Trevino (Robbie Trevino), Ellis F. Fort III (Jaqualine Fort), Patrick Fort, Katrina Fort, Benjamin Fort (Zoila Fort). On Juanita’s side, children Frank Weaver (Kimberly Weaver), Pam and Tammie. They have 21 grandchildren and great grandchildren. Butch’s first wife Gale Skoglund and second wife Eileen Emmers. As a child Butch was a baseball star athlete playing in the little league world series, state championships and the fastest pitcher around Maryland. He was a Major League Contender for the Baltimore Orioles until an injury kept him from signing on. He was known to locals as a baseball super talent. He graduated from Gainesville High and also attended Annapolis High School. He was married to Juanita Fort for 36 years. He worked as a General Contractor in Residential/Commercial Construction for the majority of his adult life. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and served in the United States Navy. He will be missed by so many. He lived a hard life in his later years, plagued with health problems but fought through the ailments courageously. He was known as a helper to the less fortunate, a feline lover, a do-it yourself of all things (before YouTube), for his sense of humor with a thunderous laugh, a bass fisherman, a baseball aficionado, a Florida Gator fan. He enjoyed spending every waking moment with his wife Nita, talking at the dinner table about life/the day/the kids/the news/the weather/the cats.
They created a life together that was love and peace for themselves. He is known to brag about his kids constantly, proud and happy for their successes, and would do all he could for them when they were less fortunate. The family of Ellis Fort Jr. wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Toby Evans and Brenda Hilderbran. They have been amazing in the last few months in assisting him and Juanita daily life activities and needs. A true blessing in his last days.
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So sorry to learn of Butch’s passing! We are cousins on the Tuers side and they lived around the corner from us. We on First Street and they on Chester Avenue and Viola the grandmother on Second Street. Lots of aunts, uncles and cousins in a block radius! A wonderful way to grow up! Sending prayers of comfort to everyone during this difficult time.
My father, Robert Fort, and Butches’ father, Ellis, were brothers with a very close relationship, Aunt Eddy, Butches’ mother, and my mother, Jean, became friends for life and I can still see the four of them sitting around the kitchen table talking and laughing about the days events while we boys were upstairs wrestling and making all manner of noise. Those were good times in the 1950s with Butchy right in the middle. Butch and I, along with Ken (Boo Boo) played little league baseball for Lex Gerald in Annapolis Maryland in the late 1950s. Butch was a standout pitcher and excellent all around athlete and later served his country during a time of peril. Although as the years passed our contact waned, my memories are still fresh with pleasant recollections of our childhood. Rest now cousin Butchy, I have you in my mind’s eye, where you will stay until I too pass.
Thank you for your comment Susan Zorn. My Brother Butch was a superstar. He was 16.3 years older than me. I never knew him very well until I was about 8 years old when came to Gainesville on a Harley Davidson Sportster. He had gotten out of the Navy and rode from Seattle, WA to California and then to Gainesville. Mom had told me he was showing up and that I couldn’t sleep in my bed that night. The next morning he and a buddy were there asleep with large beards and hippy looking. LOL I saw his motorcycle and fell in love with it. As I grew up I learned about his time in the Navy and he gave me his jacket with the cool patches on it. He use to say he had wished he hadn’t. We use to Bass Fish all the time and we were very good at it. I later joined the Navy and purchased a Harley in 2003 and have had one ever since. I retired in 2006 from the Navy but work for them today. My Brother Butch “AL” was some guy. I did everything from cleaning chimneys, painting houses, roofing, building, cleaning buildings etc. We did it all. My Idol and hero. I will miss him forever in my heart but know we will see each other again. In loving memory of my Brother, Ellis Fort Jr. Ronny Fort