Herbert (Herb) Steven Ellison, 74, of Hinton, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2026, in Sarasota, FL, after a long illness.

Born August 23, 1952, in Hinton, WV, he was the son of the late Herbert Otis Ellison and the late Aileen Ellison.

Herb was born in Hinton and attended Bellepoint Elementary School before attending Hinton High School and graduating in 1970. He then studied journalism at West Virginia University.

Herb returned to Hinton and pursued work in publishing, working at the Hinton newspaper, the Hinton print shop, and later working as an independent typesetter. In 1993, Herb was ordained as the priest of Ascension Episcopal Church and served there for 11 years. While serving at Ascension, Herb and his wife, Mary, founded the “Free Books for Kids and Teens” program, which gave away thousands of free books to Summers County youth over the course of many years.

Herb was an excellent musician and played dozens of musical instruments, including piano, harp, ukulele, Irish whistle, guitar, and many others. In his younger years, he was a state champion banjo player and played in a bluegrass band.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 50 years, Mary Ellison; his son, Tim Ellison; his daughter, Lora Harrell, and her husband, Andy. He is also survived by his four grandchildren: Zoe, Thomas, and Ally Harrell, and Charlotte Ellison; and his brother, Rob Ellison, and his wife, Sherri.

Herb is to be cremated, and a memorial service will be held at Pivont Funeral Home in Hinton at a time to be announced later, with Rev. Dr. Isaiah Kim officiating.