Ellis Olkon

Ellis Olkon, age 87, of Minneapolis, passed away Wednesday, October 14, 2026 of natural causes. A criminal defense attorney and lifelong member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party, Ellis grew up in government housing on Minneapolis’s near northside. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania and Ukraine. His father worked as a janitor at Bloom Brothers, a factory that made gift novelties. Industrious from a young age, Ellis collected empty pop bottles, worth three cents each, to fund his love of black licorice. Beginning at 14, his side hustles included delivering newspapers, scooping rainbow sherbet at the Minnesota State Fair, selling hot dogs for the Minneapolis Millers, the former minor league baseball team, ushering at a movie theater, and selling ladies’ shoes at Chandler’s Shoe Store. Ellis was always feisty. A teenage fan of boxing and wrestling, he earned the nickname “Punchy” for walking down the street throwing punches at imaginary enemies. Later, as a lawyer, he put that energy into fighting for his clients. A speech course at North High School changed the course of his life. Until then a lackluster and very shy student, Ellis was inspired by his teacher, Ms. Conner, to dream big. Public speaking became a passion and led him to a career in law, where he channeled his commitment to social justice. Ellis attended the University of Minnesota, where in 1962 he met his future wife, Nancy Hansen. Both were working their way through school at the University of Minnesota Hospital, he as an orderly and she as a nursing aide. Family lore has it that on their first date, they played an impromptu game of football with Nancy’s sister, Betty Jo, and another orderly inside Memorial Stadium, whose gate had been left unlocked. Ellis and Nancy married in 1965 and had three children. They were together until her death in 2024. A devoted zayde and avid fisherman, Ellis spent much of his retirement reeling in bass, walleyes, and crappies on Lake Minnetonka. He loved watching Vikings and Twins games with one or more of his six grandchildren by his side. He was fond of blasting cantorial music on his boat and often named the emotional High Holiday prayer Areshes Sefoseinu as his favorite song. Ellis is survived by his brother, Sheldon (Sandy); his children, David Olkon (Ruth), Sara Olkon (David Cutcliffe), and Deborah Olkon (Michael Zis); and his grandchildren, Saul, Meyer, and Abe Zis and Joseph, Shoshana, and Zev Olkon. Funeral service 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Sunday October 18th at Beth El Synagogue, 5225 Barry Street West, St. Louis Park. Shiva will be 7 p.m. on Sunday at Beth El and 7 p.m. on Monday at a family residence, 2715 Ewing Ave. S., Minneapolis. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Beth El Synagogue or to the Minnesota DFL, 255 E. Plato Blvd., Saint Paul, MN 55107, or secure.actblue.com/donate/minnesotadfl?refcode=website
Funeral is available on zoom (direct link below): https://hodroffs.com/EllisOlkon