Constance (Connie) Lynn Ross
MEMPHIS - With profound sadness we announce the passing of Constance (Connie) Lynn Ross, a loving, devoted mother, grandmother, and friend. She left us on December 3, 2020 after a long struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Connie was born in Memphis, TN on June 17, 1952. She is preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Emory Ross, Jr. and Lyndell Irene Martin Ross, and by her sister, Patricia Elaine Hazard. She is survived by her daughters: Caitlin Jaynes (James) Stuart of Brooklyn, NY; Lauren Jaynes (Jason) Baron of Brooklyn, NY; and Vivian Jaynes (Roger) Ekstrom of Memphis, TN; grandsons Nicholas and Adrian Stuart of Brooklyn, NY; and many longtime friends.
Connie was a loyal alum of Grahamwood Elementary School, Kingsbury High School, the University of Tennessee-knoxville, and the University of Tennessee College of Law. A lifelong member of Calvary Episcopal Church, she lived her life according to the scriptural directive to “seek justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.”
Known as “a lawyer with the heart of a social worker,” Connie’s career was defined by her commitment to service and the pursuit of justice. The majority of her career was spent as an attorney at Memphis Area Legal Services and as a Professor of Clinical Law at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Connie was also the Director of the Civil Litigation Clinic at the U of M Law School for over 16 years, where she not only continued her passion for providing legal aid and advocating for those most in need, but also trained and mentored the next generation of lawyers.
After years advocating for abused women and children during her law career, Connie collaborated with other Memphians who recognized a need to create a hub of resources and support for families coping with domestic violence. Connie was the founding Executive Director of the Family Safety Center, assembling the first board of directors and formalizing the organizational structure. It was during this time that Connie started showing the early signs of the dementia that would stop her ability to work. Unfortunately, this prevented her from overseeing the Center’s launch, but the organization continues to provide critical services for those in need.
Connie was a loving and attentive mother who encouraged her daughters to explore the world and to embrace all kinds of life experience, within and outside of Memphis. Instilling the same sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge she possessed, she taught them to be advocates for themselves and others, leading by example as a proponent for public schools in Memphis, believing that every child has the right to a quality education.
Connie was a warm, kind, and generous spirit who left this life too soon, but her memory will live on in the hearts and minds of all those she touched.
A memorial service will be announced in 2021 when we are able to gather safely to celebrate Connie’s life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org), the Memphis Community Legal Center (www.clcmemphis.org), or a non-profit charitable organization of your choice.