'Chip made his mark'

Baby blue balloons decorated the aerobics room at the Naples YMCA on Sunday, as hundreds shuffled in wearing matching blue ribbons bearing the name "Chip." Blue handouts bore his picture.

The abundance of the color can't make up for the loss of the pair of bright blue eyes represented. But remembering them helps.

Hundreds gathered at the YMCA to celebrate the life of former Barron Collier student Allen "Chip" Ellis. The body of the 18-year-old from Virginia was found in the trunk of his car by construction workers in Henrico County, Va., on May 25.

Chip lived in Naples with his mother, former YMCA Executive Director Sherri Ellis, and father, Rick Ellis, until two years ago.

Friends and family described the teen, who was active in nearly every department at the YMCA, as bubbly, bouncy and full of life.

"Chip gave me courage to confront my fears and take on challenges that were impossible at the time," said Jaime Williams, Chip's best friend in Naples. "A laugh, a smile, a boy that understood how the world worked, and how just listening could save many lives.

"His legacy lives on through us, and I hope we can keep true to Chip in our lives to come."

A classmate of Chip's, Louis Shawn Lindenfeld, 18, has been charged with capital murder, robbery and two firearm counts in the slaying of the teen. Henrico County Police think Chip offered Lindenfeld a ride home and that Lindenfeld carjacked his classmate during the ride.

Chip was found dead in the trunk of his car, having suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities said someone attempted to burn the vehicle to destroy evidence.

The grisly circumstances surrounding Chip's death were not mentioned during the remembrance service. Instead, a winding line of well-wishers stretched out into the courtyard, and Sheri Ellis greeted each guest with a brave smile and warm embrace.

The mourning mother smiled wider while images of Chip being Chip — jumping over objects on his skateboard and goofing around with friends — flashed on a projector as John Lennon's "Imagine" echoed through the silent, packed workout room.

"Chip was a child magnet. He loved kids," Sherri Ellis said, explaining her son's dream of becoming a speech pathologist for children.

"The day we knew for sure he was in heaven ... we knew he was up there preparing the biggest YMCA day camp ever for the kids."

Some of Chip's newer Virginia friends, including his girlfriend of five months, Katharina Knoll, made the trip to Southwest Florida for the YMCA gathering.

"I didn't get to tell you how much I loved you," Knoll said, reading a letter she wrote to Chip. "You loved me for all that I am, and I will always love you for all of the things that make you the eighth wonder of the world.

"Please visit me in my dreams."

More than 1,000 people attended his Virginia funeral, friends said. Chip's Virginia friends passed out 40,000 fliers when Chip was reported missing, family friend Don Stewart, of Naples, said.

"I've known him since he was born, and I watched as he became the beautiful young man we honor today," Stewart said. "Chip impacted people's lives for good."

After the prayer service, crowds of friends and family members engulfed Chip's parents, offering comfort and telling their own stories of how the tall and skinny, floppy-haired romantic, who moved through life at his own pace, touched their lives.

"When you go away from a community, and then you come back, it's good to see that you left your mark," Rick Ellis said. "Chip made his mark, obviously.

"He was just a great kid, with a great heart."