Obituary for John Ross
It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the peaceful passing of John Lee Ross, age 80, on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at his residence in Waxahachie, Texas. John was born in Utica, Mississippi on January 04, 1943, to Ionas and Mae Bell Ross. He was the first born of this union. John accepted Christ at an early age as a member of Saint Peter Missionary Baptist Church, in Utica, Mississippi. As a teenager, he was the Youth Superintendent of his Sunday School. He graduated from Hinds County Agricultural High School in 1961, and also attended Jackson State University where he played French horn in the Sonic Boom Band. Shortly thereafter, John was drafted into the United States Army during the Vietnam War as a Combat Engineer, earning an Expert Rifleman medal (Nuremberg, Germany).
John married long-time friend Mary Alice Hardy of Utica, Mississippi. To this union three children were born – Dwayne, Devita and Dawn. Upon relocating to Flint, Michigan, John worked for General Motors divisions - Fisher Body #1 and Service Parts Operations (SPO) - where he was a member of UAW Local #559. He retired from General Motors in 2002 after 38 years of service. While John was a hard-working man, an active member of Resurrection Community Reformed Church (Flint Township, MI) and a 33rd degree Mason of John W. Stevenson Masonic Lodge #56 (Flint, Michigan), he also made ample time for his loving family. As a dedicated family man, John took pride in attending his children’s and wife’s extracurricular activities, traveling with his family on road trips, and spending summers at his vacation home in Idlewild, Michigan. In his leisure time he enjoyed cooking, riding motorcycles, driving in his convertible GTOs, and watching every single Pittsburg Steelers game.
John leaves to cherish, his devoted wife of 55 years, Mary Alice; one son, Dwayne (Miltrina), of Flint, MI; three daughters, Denise (Gregory) of Chicago, IL, Devita (Fred) of Waxahachie, TX, and Dawn of Valley Ranch, TX; grandchildren, Devon, Kayla, Brandon, Taylor, Adryan, Sydney, Tony, Kennedy, Jalen, and Dylan; great-grandchildren, Evan, Remy, Nia, Desmond and Thaddeus; brother, Donald (Doris) Ross, of Utica, MS; sisters-in-law, Ada Davis, Juanita (Van) Smith, Dorothy Hughes and Maulee Seals; a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; special family and friends, Erma Sue Lamb, Joe Davis, Rose Lawson, Lee Arthur Ross, Charles Ross, and Jessie Bradley.
John was preceded in death by his grandmother, Roxie Thomas; mother, Mae Bell Ross; father, Ionas Ross, and mother-in-law, Ida Hardy.
The family would like to express special thanks to Marcia Torres, Sabrina Williams Traylor and the entire staff of At Home Personal Care; Cedar Hill Fire Department; Waxahachie Fire Department; STAR Transit; Ellis Community Transit; Area Agency on Aging; staff of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Waxahachie; staff of Methodist Charlton Medical Center – Dallas; staff of Methodist Midlothian Medical Center; staff of UT Southwestern Medical Center – Dallas; and Harmony Cares Medical Group.
John married long-time friend Mary Alice Hardy of Utica, Mississippi. To this union three children were born – Dwayne, Devita and Dawn. Upon relocating to Flint, Michigan, John worked for General Motors divisions - Fisher Body #1 and Service Parts Operations (SPO) - where he was a member of UAW Local #559. He retired from General Motors in 2002 after 38 years of service. While John was a hard-working man, an active member of Resurrection Community Reformed Church (Flint Township, MI) and a 33rd degree Mason of John W. Stevenson Masonic Lodge #56 (Flint, Michigan), he also made ample time for his loving family. As a dedicated family man, John took pride in attending his children’s and wife’s extracurricular activities, traveling with his family on road trips, and spending summers at his vacation home in Idlewild, Michigan. In his leisure time he enjoyed cooking, riding motorcycles, driving in his convertible GTOs, and watching every single Pittsburg Steelers game.
John leaves to cherish, his devoted wife of 55 years, Mary Alice; one son, Dwayne (Miltrina), of Flint, MI; three daughters, Denise (Gregory) of Chicago, IL, Devita (Fred) of Waxahachie, TX, and Dawn of Valley Ranch, TX; grandchildren, Devon, Kayla, Brandon, Taylor, Adryan, Sydney, Tony, Kennedy, Jalen, and Dylan; great-grandchildren, Evan, Remy, Nia, Desmond and Thaddeus; brother, Donald (Doris) Ross, of Utica, MS; sisters-in-law, Ada Davis, Juanita (Van) Smith, Dorothy Hughes and Maulee Seals; a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins; special family and friends, Erma Sue Lamb, Joe Davis, Rose Lawson, Lee Arthur Ross, Charles Ross, and Jessie Bradley.
John was preceded in death by his grandmother, Roxie Thomas; mother, Mae Bell Ross; father, Ionas Ross, and mother-in-law, Ida Hardy.
The family would like to express special thanks to Marcia Torres, Sabrina Williams Traylor and the entire staff of At Home Personal Care; Cedar Hill Fire Department; Waxahachie Fire Department; STAR Transit; Ellis Community Transit; Area Agency on Aging; staff of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Waxahachie; staff of Methodist Charlton Medical Center – Dallas; staff of Methodist Midlothian Medical Center; staff of UT Southwestern Medical Center – Dallas; and Harmony Cares Medical Group.