THOMAS ELMER ROSS
June 8, 1928 – Dec. 29, 2022
Thomas Elmer Ross, 94, of El Centro, CA, passed away o n December 2 9, 2022, of n atural c auses. He was born on June 8, 1928, in Stockton, CA.
He attended schools in Sacramento a nd H ollywood. He graduated from L.A. C ity C ollege a nd UCLA a nd r eceived a master's degree in education at UCLA. He was in the U.S. Air Force f rom 1950 to 1952 a s a supply officer at G eorge Air Base. He taught elementary s chool at S eeley, Pine, and RoseMesquite before t eaching in E l Centro a t Lincoln, McKinley, and De Anza. After 20 years in elementary s chools, he t ransferred to Park A venue Continuation High School and worked there for 19 years before retiring. He taught an evening class at IVC for 26 years, up until 1998. He was a 4H l eader for over 20 years and was president of the 4H County Leaders Council. H e was a McCabe S chool Board member. He taught Sunday school a t El Centro Methodist Church f rom 1951 to 1999. He worked with the Band Boosters of the Great Spartan Band with J immie Cannon from 19741996 and traveled on many t rips with them. He volunteered for El Centro Regional Medical Center Hospital Auxiliary f or o ver 15 y ears. Tom was in t he U CLA Band, the Swiss Band, the Methodist Choir, and the IV M aster Chorale. H e loved to travel. With his family he traveled to 30 states, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii, t he C aribbean, and Western Europe several times. Tom survived the West Nile Virus from a mosquito bite in 2006.
He was preceded in death by h is wife of 5 3 years, Carol Martin Ross; sisters, A nna B ess, Josephine, S arah, Faith, Mary, and Kathy; a nd brothers, John, Paul, David, Harry, and Sam.
He is survived by his daughter, Melody J ean Ross o f San Diego; daughter and s oninlaw, April Lynn a nd J ohn Mitchell, a nd g randdaughters, Diva Bryn and Jade M arie M itchell o f San Diego; s ister, H ope Fulwiler of Spokane, WA and brother, D an o f Campbell, CA.
A memorial service will be h eld on J anuary 1 4, 2023, at 11:30 am at First United Methodist Church officiated b y Pastor V J CruzBaez.
T he f amily suggests memorials to D octors Without Borders.