Earl H. Ross Jr.'s Obituary
Earl H. Ross Jr., 93, was born at home in Charleston, WV Nov. 16, 1924 to parents, Earl H. and Annie Laurie Ely Ross, and died at home in Fort Myers, FL June 22, 2018- just as he would have wanted – with his sweetheart of 68 years, Cynthia, nearby.Earl grew up an only child on the West Side in a small house surrounded by his parents, grandmother and an ever-changing cast of cousins, aunts and uncles. He graduated in 1942 from the newly-built Stonewall Jackson High School, and often joked that he took seven semesters of Latin there and only passed four. A patriot like his father and with WW II in full swing, he enlisted in the Navy. After the war, he returned home and enrolled on the GI Bill at what is now the University of Charleston (C/O ’50). During summer vacations, he worked as a lifeguard at Cacapon State Park, where he first met Cynthia in 1948. After serendipitously meeting again two years later in a college campus hallway, they were dating within days and engaged within months, beginning a life-long romance envied by all who knew them.He began his career as the first Assistant Superintendent (a job that was created especially for him) at Cacapon. His sharp mind, wit and charm led to later jobs in sales (a “peddler” as he called it) for steel manufacturers calling on coal camps in WV and eventually DOTs throughout the US. He retired to Fort Myers in 1983.Earl lived by “the golden rule” and was described by many as, “the best man they’ve ever known.” When told that, he’d humbly and humorously reply, “I guess you haven’t known very many men.” Though he served in a multitude of volunteer and leadership roles, he never sought recognition and would be embarrassed by it here, but at the very least, both his 70 years of service to the Presbyterian Church and 65 years of donating blood nearly every eight weeks deserve accolades.From an early age, he longed for a large family of his own, a dream that Cynthia enthusiastically helped him realize and the accomplishment of which he was the very proudest. Left to cherish his memory are: Cynthia; his children: Bill of Charlotte, NC; Tim (DeeDee) of Golden, CO; Suzy (Terry) of Alexandria, VA; and Jenny of Fort Myers; grandchildren: Chris Ross (Mandie), Major Matthew Ross, USMC (Krista), and Karen Ross Walters (Kory); Kelsey and Ross Pinkard; Annie Laurie Ross; great-grands: Logan and Ellie Ross; Parker, CJ, Brody and Mackenna Ross; Grey and Ashby Walters.A Celebration of Earl’s Life will be held Saturday, August 4 at 4 PM at Chapel By The Sea Presbyterian Church on Fort Myers Beach.In lieu of flowers: donations can be made to: Cacapon State Park Foundation, 818 Cacapon Lodge Dr., Berkeley Springs, WV 25411; or honor him simply by: visiting a state park, serving God and others, maintaining (or developing!) a sense of humor, thanking a veteran, or just striving for a life well-lived.Arrangements for the final care of Mr. Ross have been entrusted to Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 936-0555. To share a story or photo, leave a tribute or to offer condolences to the family at this difficult time please visit Earl’s memorial webpage at www.fortmyersmemorial.com and sign his guestbook.
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