Nicholas J. Ellis

Nick Ellis, formerly of Cutchogue and Greenport, died March 29 in Greensboro, N.C., where he had recently moved with Bob Tapp, his partner of 27 years.

Nick was a hilarious and brilliant nonconformist and Bohemian. He was a career hairdresser with one-man salons in Port Washington, New York City and on the North Fork. In Port Washington he let a homeless man sleep in his shop for a full decade. One of his many memorable quotes was “The bigger the hair, the closer to God.”

With his partner, Bob, Nick was also cofounder and designer of their women’s sportswear business for 14 years and distributed internationally to the most fashion-conscious retailers. His humorous spin on life was often reflected on the clothing line.

Nick was an avid antique collector and “feared” by many North Fork yard salers.

He was a believer in God and eternal life, and has already sent signs the magic is real.

He is survived by his partner, Robert Tapp; his mother, Virginia; his birth mother, Judy; his sister, Jacqueline; his brother, Art; and two other brothers. His oldest sibling, Stephanie, predeceased him. Nick was a cancer survivor and eight-year survivor of unrelenting neuropathy pain.

A memorial service will take place at Cutchogue Presbyterian Church during the first week of May.

Memorial donations may be sent to The Barnabas Network in Greensboro, N.C., a nonprofit organization that provides furniture to people transitioning from homelessness to their own home, and victims of fire and flood.

This is a paid notice.