Ellis W. Scott, a retired government actuary, died of a heart ailment Friday at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Services will be at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the Wilde Lake Interfaith Religious Center, 10431 Twin Rivers Road, Columbia.

Mr. Scott, who was 68, lived in Columbia.

He retired from the U.S. Department of Energy in 1988. Earlier, he established the actuarial science program at Howard University in Washington and served as its first administrator.

Mr. Scott earned a bachelor's degree at Southern University and a master's degree at the State University of Iowa.

Survivors include his wife of 41 years, the former Elaine Bell; two sons, Eric Scott of New York and Evan Scott of Philadelphia; a brother, Wayman Eugene Scott of Knoxville, Tenn.; and two sisters, Laura Scott Taylor of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Betty Scott Taylor of Washington.