Ellsworth 'Ells' B. Shank, 88, of Havre de Grace

Obituary and service information from Zellman Funeral Home:

Ellsworth “Ells” B. Shank, of Havre de Grace, passed away Nov. 15, 2015. He was 88. He was born in Penryn, Pa., to Ellsworth Decker Shank and Mary Eliza Biesmesderfer Shank.

Mr. Shank was the devoted husband of the late Madelyn Mitchell Shank, who passed away Oct. 12, 2015, loving father of E. Mitchell “Mitch” Shank and wife Jessica Hartmann Shank, of Havre de Grace, and the late John Andrew “Andy” Shank. He was the grandfather of Jeriah David Shank and his wife Shawna Lynn Shank of Monroe, Iowa, Catherine “Michi” Shank and R. J. Smith of Falls Church, Virginia, and the late John Andrew “Drew” Shank and great-grandfather of Hannah Lynn Shank, Kaylee Lynn Shank, and the late Brenna Lynn Shank, and brother of Frederick D. Shank of Holly Springs, North Carolina, the late Doris Young, of Plainfield, New Jersey, and Carole Bearden of Chattanooga, TN. He is also survived by his former daughter-in-law, Mary Kamberger, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Shank was a 1945 graduate of Manheim High School. He then enlisted on July 1, 1945, in the U.S. Navy at age 17, as a V-5 Aviation Cadet, and served until Jan. 22, 1947. He then went back to college and received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics at Franklin & Marshall, then continued with graduate studies in mathematical statistics at Columbia University. He worked at Aberdeen Proving Ground from June 1949 until December 1983. He started at the Ballistics Research Lab, working primarily with Army Ordinance Systems then moving forward with air defense systems. Mr. Shank began working as a mathematician midway through his career and ended up as an Analytical Statistician and finally transitioned to weapons effectiveness analysis as an Operations Research Analyst.

After retiring, Mr. Shank worked on several projects at the Susquehanna Museum at the Lockhouse which he has been a member since 1976, where he served as Curator and served on the Board of Directors, and worked on such projects as restoration of the Southern Terminal of the Susquehanna Tidewater Canal, reconstruction of the pivot bridge, the canal basin and the tow path. He was also instrumental in stabilizing the canal chamber locks and worked toward restoring the canal to working condition. Mr. Shank also was a member, deacon, elder, trustee, Sunday school teacher and superintendent at the Presbyterian Church of Havre de Grace. He had an extreme passion for history, and was a titled Havre de Grace historian, whether it was with the canals and lock systems and how they affected life around them historically, or with the Naval Rodgers family and the Northern Chesapeake Bay, as his family restored the 1787 home of Elizabeth Rodgers, or just learning more as our country celebrated the Bicentennial in 1976. He served on the Board of Directors for Havre de Grace’s Bicentennial Committee in 1985. He was designated as a Harford County Living Treasure in 2002.

Mr. Shank traveled extensively with his family and loved making sure his children and grandchildren were taken care of.

A viewing will be held on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., at Zellman Funeral Home, P.A., 123 South Washington Street, Havre de Grace.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, at 11 a.m., at the Presbyterian Church of Havre de Grace, 551 Franklin Street, Havre de Grace. Pastor Jeriah Shank will officiate with Pastor Suzie Atkinson. Pallbearers will be Troy Breaden, Jean Montgomery Johnson, Robert Madison Mitchell III, Scott Pentz, Greg Smith, R.J. Smith, and Mike Transparenti.

Online condolences may be made at www.zellmanfuneralhome.com.

Find more obituaries on Havre de Grace Patch. If you have an obituary to share, post it on Patch here.