Archie Elliot

Archie Elliots lifetime talent has been the visual arts. He was born on Christmas night, 1923, in Long Beach, California and was the eleventh and last child of Archie Thomas Elliot and Mary Melissa Stotts, native Canadians from Toronto, Ontario. As a young child he developed a natural habit of drawing, beginning with hours spent at his mothers table while growing up. Elliot especially enjoyed cartooning, a habit that served him well throughout the years of his life. When Archie was eleven, the family broke up and Archie lived by himself and with older sisters, brothers and friends during the next eight years. Elliot spent much of his childhood playing on the beach (lifeguarding there years later) and roaming the streets selling newspapers in downtown Long Beach during the Great Depression. He lived in twelve different places during his elementary through high school years. Despite his somewhat unstable life outside of secondary school, and coping with two years of deafness from early scarlet fever, Archie Elliot was prominently active in all athletic sports, school newspaper publishing and student body offices, including President of Junior Statesmen and Commissioner of Athletics at Woodrow Wilson H.S. In 1941 Archie was named one of the outstanding California high school students in 1941 selected to attend a Leadership School during the summer of 1942 in Los Gatos, California. Elliots early years provided the inspiration behind most of his original paintings which delighted those who attended last Mays Downtown Billings ArtWalk exhibition at Level 504 entitled, “Archie and Carolyn Elliot: “THE STORIES BEHIND THE ART.” The colorful exhibition featured a variety of original works created by Archie and his late daughter, Carolyn. Archie joined the Navy in 1943 and completed Communications School following Boot Camp in San Diego, California. He was then assigned to the 2nd Marine Joint Assault Signal Company and the 75th Army Jasco, making six landings: Saipan, Peleliu (Palau), Leyte, Luzon, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. He was assigned to seventeen different ships between June 1943 and September 1945, before being honorably discharged in December 1945. By the time he returned from the Invasion of Okinawa in the Spring of 1944, Archie Elliot had experienced an ongoing view of the horrors of war. His years of military service during World War II inspired the creation of an illustrated cartoon style journal during a week of rest camp on base at after returning to the Base at YPO Hawaii from Okinawa. The insightful drawings successfully assisted his processing of the intense wartime experiences, and were also included in the remarkable STORIES BEHIND THE ART exhibition placed on public display for the first time during the May 2010 Billings Downtown ArtWalk. Elliot later confirmed the perspective that his years of domestic instability as a youth challenged him to have faith in himself, to live a deep inner spiritual life, and to become “street smart.” It took the numerous love letters sent to him overseas from his high-school classmate and future wife, Ada Ecton, during World War II that led this independent spirit to fall in love with and marry Ada on August 30, 1946.With funding assistance of the GI Bill, Archie Elliot, set about earning a Masters Degree and teaching certification in Art Education with a Minor in Scenic Design. Following his initial classes at Long Beach State University, Archie and Ada moved to her beloved home state of Montana where he continued taking courses at the University of Montana and Montana State University. In Fall of 1951, Archie Elliot began a long tenure with Billings School District which was interrupted by Elliots continued pursuit of professional development in Sante Fe Springs, CA and Pendleton, OR. Following his lengthy service as art teacher at Garfield School, Senior High School and West High School, Archie Elliot was hired in 1967 as the Art Director for the Billings School District #2. He kept that position for many years and was credited with establishing strong, meaningful ties among the visual art instructors he supervised. He was active in his community and state, and organizations to which he belonged include the Elks Club, the Y's Men, the Billings Art Association, the Montana Retired Teachers Association, the Billings Caledonian Society, the Billings Blue Blazers, the Montana Institute of the Arts, and even years of service as the dashing, exuberant bass drummer for the Billings Caledonian Pipes & Drums. In the early 1980's, the now retired Elliot returned to service for several years as the art instructor for the American College in American Samoa!In addition to his classroom teaching and service as Art Director for the Billings School District, Archie spent thirty years designing and building stage sets for high school, college and professional theater productions including some directed by his son Ian. One of his last set designs was for the only authorized national touring theatrical show based on the life and art of Norman Rockwell. The play was also directed by Ian and featured professional actor/playwright, Dennis Seibel in the title role. Norman Rockwell was indeed Elliots favorite caricature artist when he sold The Saturday Evening Post on the sidewalks of Long Beach, CA in 1930! Following it national tour, A VISIT WITH NORMAN ROCKWELL played to thousands of theater goers during an extended performance run in Branson, Missouri in the late 90s into the next decade. Area theater audiences fondly remember Archie Elliots set designs which graced the stages as small as Fred and Marie Millers Pioneer Playhouse to the sizable Alberta Bair Theater. Set Design credits are too numerous to name, but include popular classics such as BUS STOP, PETER PAN, DIAL M FOR MURDER, I DO! I DO!, ALADDIN AND HIS MAGIC LAMP, WEST SIDE STORY, CAROUSEL, SOUTH PACIFIC, MY FAIR LADY, BRIGADOON and THE MUSIC MAN. Archie was deeply saddened with the untimely death of his youngest daughter, Carolyn in 1997, and continued to put family first throughout his lifetime. He is survived by his longtime sweetheart, dance partner, wife and best friend, Ada Elliot; Jennifer Mackey (sister); Cindy Elliot (daughter), Ian Elliot (son), Elliot Hutchens (grandson), Adrian Elliot Olson (grandson), Holly Sorensen (step granddaughter); Emily Sapp (step granddaughter); and a large number of nieces, nephews, cousins and other distant relatives that come with so large a birth family. Archie brought his children up steeped in the proud Scottish tradition of the Elliot Clan, to carry on the honor of his Elliot family heritage. His beautiful, beaming smile, deep integrity, unending kindness, giant creative spirit and ongoing concern for others will live in all our hearts forever.During Archies final days, he poured his last creative energies into a project dear to his heart, a collection of his lifes work of art, cartoons and stories that could be published for the enjoyment of family, friends, World War II Veterans and the general public. The Elliot Family suggests that those wishing to honor Archies memory may either make a donation to a charity of their choice, or contribute to the private fund established by the family to fulfill Archies dream of completing this publication. Contributions for this purpose may be sent to: “Archies Art and Stories,” c/o Cindy Elliot, 6560 Amsterdam Rd., Amsterdam, MT 59741; 406-920-1703, or to Ian Elliot, 2512 Golden Blvd., Billings, MT 59102. Details, donation option and more about Archies life and art are available at: www.storiesbehindtheart.com. Memories and condolences may also be shared at this same website.Please join the Elliot family and friends for a full celebration of Archie's life at the Mayflower Congregational Church, Poly Drive and Rehberg Lane, Billings, MT, on Saturday, August 28, 2010; Memorial Service at 1:30 pm, Reception following.