Obituary of Jerry Ashcroft McDonald Elliot

Jerry Ashcroft McDonald Elliott, 81, of Gainesville, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was born March 28, 1939, in Little Rapids, Ontario, Canada, the son of the late Russell and Joyce Elliott. He migrated to the United States in 1959 to attend Florida Christian College in Temple Terrace, Florida, where he met his first wife, Nancy Middleton, and eventually became a citizen of the US.  He graduated from the University of Florida in 1967 with a degree in industrial engineering.  After UF, he had a successful career at Harris Corporation, ran a small computer programming business with his partners, and taught an intro to computer programming class for ten years at the Santa Fe Community College annex in Starke, Florida.  Jerry was a man of unusual talents: he played the bagpipes when he was in high school, he loved to scuba dive in the underground caves in Florida, he drove tanks in the National Guard, and he worked as a land surveyor, which resulted in a street being named after him in Merritt Island, Florida, Elliott Drive.  He loved to build, from wood-working to computers and was also a software programmer.  He enjoyed reading and collecting National Geographic magazines (he had every copy from June 1955 to present, a hobby that he picked up from his uncle, Birnie Hotchkiss) and was in the process of writing a novel set during the Ancient Mayan civilization. In 2013, he unexpectedly lost Nancy, his first wife and best friend of 50 years.  In 2015, he met and married Florence Fox Vendeland and enjoyed his twilight years in loving companionship with Florence.  He was a dutiful son, a great brother, a loving husband, a wonderful father, a fond uncle and a doting grandfather.

Survivors include his wife, Florence Fox Vendeland Elliott. His children, Lisa Elliott, Neill Elliott and Michael Elliott and his grandson, Collin Elliott. His siblings, Russell Elliott, Sharon Elliott, and Jim Elliott (Anne), sisters-in-law, Anne Elliott, Judy Middleton Clark (Jack) and Susan Middleton Sexsmith, brother-in-law, Jack Clark, and numerous nieces and nephews.  His stepchildren, Sharon Kemerer (Steve), Ben Fox (Lisa), and Gary Fox (Marilyn) and step-grandchildren, Robert Phillips, Elizabeth Fox and Josh Fox.

He is predeceased by his first wife, Nancy Middleton Elliott, his brother and sister-in-law Orville and Ina Elliott and his brother and sister-in-law Colin and Margaret Elliott.

An online memorial service will be announced at a later date. Please check the online version for updates. A graveside service will be held at noon on Sunday, December 6, 2020 at Highland Memorial Park (1515 NE 3rd Street, Ocala, FL 34470), where he will be laid to rest beside his first wife, Nancy.  A video of the services will be posted thereafter at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/894369178. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Kidney Foundation. Online condolences may be sent to www.hiers-baxley.com.