Funeral held Saturday for Plainfield shooting victim

• Ellis was shot and killed in Plainfield the day before he was to begin his senior year Kean University
• Many riends and family said that Ellis had inspired them in one way or another throughout their lives
• Ellis was the eighth homicide in Plainfield this year

PLAINFIELD - Marcus Corey Ellis loved history and wanted to become a professor of the subject someday, his friends and family said while gathered on Saturday for the 25-year-old's funeral service.

Now, his family and friends will look back on his life and pass down stories of him to younger generations, just like the lessons Ellis aspired to one day teach.

Ellis was killed the day before he was to begin his senior year at Kean University when he was shot on the 700 block of Hillside Avenue on Aug. 31.

At his funeral, many people, friends and family, said that Ellis had inspired them in one way or another. They gathered Saturday at Ruth Fellowship Ministries to say their goodbyes and share stories of the man they all remembered as being bright, funny and compassionate.

A Kean University classmate at the service said that Ellis "loved history" and that he "actually helped me with my Roman history class."

After pausing to wipe away his tears, he said, "We were all going to walk together," referring to the graduation that Ellis would have been at in May.

Last Spring, Ellis made it to the Dean's List, according to his obituary, meaning he finished the semester with a grade point average of 3.45 or higher.

"I wonder if the world knows what it has lost," the obituary said. "That light that radiated from him, surely someone else saw the flicker before it faded into eternal darkness."

Towards the end of the service, Ellis' aunt, Kimberly Ellis, spoke about her nephew before singing a song in his memory.

"He could smile and eclipse the sun," she said. "When we lose people like this, and we wonder why we have so much tragedy in the world, it's because the good people are the ones that are lost."

She urged the procession to live their lives the way Ellis had lived his, however brief that it was.

READ: Plainfield Anti-Violence Coalition announces rally

READ: 25-year-old Plainfield man killed in shooting

"You find beauty in some part of your day, you find a nice way to be nice to somebody, you find that person who doesn't have anybody and you speak to that person," she said. "Because everybody needs somebody."

Ellis worked with disabled people, according to his obituary, and wrote about a day he had after having to work a double shift. “I love the new job I work for. Working with the mentally disabled is not bad at all! They are so funny and are very smart in their own ways," he said. "I was mad at first about doing a double today but being with the guys make me not want to leave."

His aunt said that he was "that somebody to a lot of people who didn't have anybody, and so now that he's gone, it's up to us to take that charge, walk that path."

She continued, "In 25 years, the legacy that he leaves is for all of us, the lessons that he taught don't die with him."

She sang a song while standing  in front of the church that she said was the only song she could think of singing that was suitable for Ellis.

The song was titled "I Was Here" and was written by Beyoncé.

After stopping for several moments, sobbing, she sang, "When I leave this world, I leave no regret. Leave something to remember, so they they won't forget."

Pastor Danielle Brown officiated the service and said that Ellis had "left his mark on so many people."

She commented on the gun violence that has come to be a political talking point today.

"There is no good reason that Marcus Corey Ellis should not be alive today," she said. "Someone neglected to realize that his life was significant because his life was full of love."

Ellis was the eighth homicide in Plainfield this year.

"We've heard the circumstances, and we've heard the stories, and we know that we have a problem in our nation, and a problem in New Jersey, a problem in Plainfield," Brown said. "A problem with guns, a problem with violence."

Although there may very well be a problem with guns in America and in Plainfield, Brown reminded people that they needed to focus on all the good Ellis had brought to this world.

"We know that today is symptomatic of a bigger problem, but today is not about other problems," she said. "Today is about Marcus Corey Ellis."

"His life was significant and he was more than just another black man murdered in the street," she added

His life was significant because the love he had was meaningful, she said.

"After today, his body will no longer be here, but the memories of his goodness and his character will live on," Brown said.

"Let the aspiring history professor go down in history by telling his story," she said. "His love lives on."

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com