A greatly respected and appreciated friend

Ellis will truly be missed, both as a friend and as a colleague, for his humour, wisdom, and friendship. I really valued Ellis' generosity with young researchers in giving his expertise and insight so freely and openly. I learned a huge amount from speaking with him, and from listening to him offering his thoughts in committees and larger groups, as well as casually over a nice meal. He was one of the great advocates of innovation in cements, even where others didn't always share his vision or motivation to see innovation in practice - but always with a brilliant scrutiny and an eye for detail - if an idea passed Ellis' scrutiny, you could be sure that there was sense behind it. I saw him first from a distance, as one of the giants of the field when I was just starting out as a PhD student, but since then I have been able to get to know him as a friend and colleague, and I consider this to have been a great privilege.  

John Provis