Life Story
Ernest Milton Elzey departed this life suddenly on January 21, 2023, in his home in Dover, Delaware, at the age of 57. Ernest was born on February 17, 1965, in Exmore Virginia, to Lenora Elzey and the late Jerry Brittingham.
Ernest’s nick name was Buster; he was also affectionately called, “Busta Bus” or “Big Bus” by many. Many people may not know that between the ages of two and three years old, Buster endured many health issues and was subsequently diagnosed with epilepsy, which caused him to experience convulsions, seizures, and asthma that caused brain damage. He had to learn how to walk and do everything all over again. However, he overcame those barriers in his health and became an avid lover of sports. His first love of sports was the game of softball; he played with the Team Chambers with the Felton Little League, and bloomed from there. Buster continued to play softball and football for the Lake Forest Spartans, where he also graduated in 1984. Outside of school, he played softball with various teams throughout his teenage and young adult life such as the Delaware Red Sox, School DayZ, and Class Act.
Fly
Eagles! Fly!
Buster was an avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, and you couldn’t tell him anything. He called it when he stated, “the Eagles are going to the Super Bowl this year, 2023 is OUR Year!”
Although Ernest didn’t have any children of his own, he had many nieces and nephews who loved and respected him. And, he wouldn’t allow anyone to talk about his mom or his sisters… period! There were so many families and true friends that adopted Buster as their own. He was truly a BIG lovable guy. There isn’t one person that could stay mad with him even if they started out that way.
We’re all going to miss him, especially his family. Bus made friends everywhere he went, to name a few of those places: Family Dollar, Redner’s, Dollar Tree, Food lion, Dollar General, and the list could go on and on. Everyone knew when Buster walked or rode in, as he announced his grand appearance, he would say, “Busta Bus in the (place) house” followed by his infamous bark, “woof! woof!” His niece, Keisha, would often times be with him and would say, “Uncle Buster you’re supposed to take me to my appointment and back home, we’ve been out all day, I’m so tired”. Keisha would do it all over the next day, then telling her mom, “Uncle Buster knows everybody and he just has to talk to everybody!”
Buster would let you know that he loved two women, his mother and his car! What in the world?! However, we knew that was his joke because he loved his sisters, nieces, nephews, neighbors, and EVERYONE! He told his sister, Linda, he was going to church on New Year Eve and HE DID! He told Linda, “Sis, I really enjoyed this! Yep, it’s time to start coming to church again, like I used too.” He said, someone once invited him to church to which he replied, “I go to my sister’s church”, which was Emmanuel Pentecostal Church of God, where he originally attended as a very young boy, along with his siblings and other neighborhood children, who were carried to church by, our beloved Mr. Sam and Ms. Mae Floyd.
Ernest worked for Proctor and Gamble for many years prior to going to Dover Downs where he worked for almost 10 years in the warehouse. Boy, he thought he was something driving that truck for less than a mile around the building and back loading and unloading material all day. Buster was a mess and was proud of his various accomplishments. His most recent accomplishment was moving into his own apartment on January 3, 2023. You couldn’t tell him nothing! But, he did it! Ernest was truly a rare jewel and one of a kind!
Ernest was proceeded in death by his, biological father, Jerry Brittingham, dad, Willie Cooper; stepmom, Lorrie Cooper; grandparents, Robert and Lola Chisum; adopted sister, Joyce Anderson, and many other uncles, aunts, and one nephew, Alphonso Anderson.
Ernest is survived by his: mother, Lenora Elzey; brother, George Chisum (Patricia); sisters, Linda Farrow (Ira) and Yvonne Elzey (Jonathan); adopted sister, Cassandra Hopkins, adopted Loper/Bell family; all of his first cousins, who were like his brothers and sisters; nieces, Natalie, Lakeisha, Vinyetta, Nakeia, Joshina, Angela, Markyra, Sha’kira, Maiesha, and Christina; nephews, Kendrick, Michael, Thomas, Orlando, George, Jamie, Craig, Robert, Joshua, Dontray, Ira, Charles, Christopher, Terrell and Levar; a very special friend, Kathy Wescott of Selbyville, Delaware; besties, Della Stokes, Sonny Bell, Horace Bowman, and Stanley Stanford; a host of great nieces, great nephews, and cousins. Buster has many, many friends, although we cannot name them all, we know he loved them and they ALL loved him.
Memorable Moments
