Ellis (Tom) is born in East Texas.

The son of Herbert and Mary (Henley) Ellis, Tom Ellis serves in the U.S. Navy in Korea, graduates from Arlington State College and the University of Texas, and works at various local radio and television stations, before coming to Boston to serve as news anchor at WBZ (1968-75). Described by Terry Ann Knopf as the first “glamour” TV anchor person in Boston, he goes on to work for WCVB (1978-82) and WHDH (1982*-1986), becoming the only person to anchor top-rated newscasts at all three network-affiliated Boston television stations, and finishes his career at NECN (1994-2009). Ellis dies in East Sandwich on April 29, 2019.