Michael "Mike" Ellers, 67, died September 18, 2011, at his home inMaricopa, Arizona after a short battle with lung cancer.He was born on October 27, 1943 in Juneau and worked as a longshoremanfor 40 years with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local200, Juneau. In addition to his years of work in Juneau, he alsoperformed work in the ports of Dutch Harbor, Ketchikan, Seattle and SanFrancisco. Mike was a very active participant in the Teamster contractnegotiations. His father Roman was also a long-time longshoreman on theJuneau waterfront.Mike graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School in 1961 and married hishigh school sweetheart, Flo, in 1962. Together they had four daughters.Mike and Flo were going to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary thiscoming July.Mike was an active participant in hunting and fishing; he especiallyenjoyed trout fishing the local mountain streams. His family remembershim as loving and caring with soft spoken wisdom but with a full-bloodRussian spirit.Mike was preceded in death by his father, Roman, brother, Ronnie, andmother, Natalie "Tillie." He is survived by his children Michelle Ruaneof Juneau, Yvonne (Steve) Davis of Juneau, Nicole Ellers of Kent, Wash.,Valentina (Todd) Rodriguez, of Bakersfield, Calif., and many otherfamily members.A memorial will be held on May 5th to spread his ashes in the GastineauChannel. A reception will be held at the Teamsters Union Local 959 onWilloughby Avenue. At 12:30 p.m. For more information, please callYvonne Davis at 789-1752.