Built with Love: Roger Ellison’s Lasting Mark on Camp Grady Spruce

At Camp Grady Spruce, every generation leaves something behind: a song, a story, a place that carries their name. Few have left as deep a mark as Roger Ellison. His name is carved not only into a cabin but into the spirit of camp itself.

Roger first arrived at Camp Grady Spruce in 1967, a college student looking for summer work that meant something. “I’d been picking up trash along Texas highways,” he said. “Then I saw a picture of a counselor in a canoe on a bulletin board at college and knew, that’s what I want to do.”

That choice began a 23-year journey. Roger served as counselor, camp director, and later executive director. He helped build a wilderness program which eventually became Ray Bean Camp and led through trust. “I gave my staff wings,” he said. “They didn’t need my permission to lead, and that freedom helped them grow.”

His leadership left a lasting impact. Decades later, former campers and staff still call him a friend. One summer stands out in his memory: 1980, when drought then flooding forced the team to rebuild the camp schedule from scratch daily. “I’ve never seen staff excel like they did that summer,” Roger said. “We made it through together and had a blast doing it.”

Years later, that same spirit came back to him in the form of a phone call. “Mike Lish, one of my former staff, told me to get my wife on the phone,” Roger said. “Then he told me they’d (former campers, staff, and friends of Camp Grady Spruce) raised a quarter of a million dollars to name a new Ray Bean cabin after me. I cried like a baby.”

The Ellison Cabin now stands as a tribute to those relationships, a physical reminder of the trust, laughter, and memories that define Camp Grady Spruce.

Crafting a New Legacy

Today, Roger is giving back again, this time through his craft. A professional woodworker based in San Angelo, he runs Traditionals by Roger Ellison, creating heirloom furniture by hand. When the capital campaign began, he wanted to contribute in a way that reflected his connection to camp.

“I knew exactly how I could help,” he said. “I designed and built furniture for the new Welcome Center.”

Each piece, from the ash and walnut reception counter to the live oak mantle and conference, coffee and entry tables, carries the character of Texas itself. The designs draw from the Brazos River Basin and the land surrounding Possum Kingdom Lake, weaving camp’s history and landscape into every detail.

“Everything about it connects back to Camp,” Roger said. “I wanted it to have meaning.”

For Roger, the work is more than craftsmanship. It’s a continuation of the same love that shaped his summers decades ago. “My hope is that when people walk through that Welcome Center or into a cabin, they feel it, that they’re recognized, they’re loved, and they belong here. That’s what Camp Grady Spruce has always been about.”