George Wellington Ross, Jr. Obituary (1940 - 2020)

Funeral services for George Ross will be broadcast live on Friday, October 16, 2020 beginning at 10:00 AM MST. To watch this service, please click on the words "View Funeral Webcast" below. View Funeral Webcast George was born to Mabel Dorothy Barss Ross and George Wellington Ross on September 30th, 1940. As the only boy, George was the middle child with four sisters, Carole, Virginia, Evelyn, and Beverly. He lived in Detroit, Michigan where he graduated high school before moving to California with his family in 1958. He joined the Navy and spent four years working sonar on destroyers in the Pacific during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. He was promoted to Second Class Petty Officer during this time. Once he left the Navy, George met his sweetheart Eva through a mutual friend. She introduced him to the gospel and they married shortly after he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1964. They were sealed a year later in the Los Angeles temple and their marriage created a beautiful family that they enjoyed together for more than 55 years. Over the years George and Eva lived in Mesa, Arizona, Prescott, Arizona, Fruit Heights, Utah, Page, Arizona, and finally South Jordan, Utah. He graduated with distinction from Mesa Community College and then went on to earn a BA in Speech and Drama from Arizona State University. George was a gifted teacher and public speaker. He worked in the training industry and was renowned for his vivid storytelling, quick wit, corny jokes, suave voice talents, and memorable lessons. He spent his professional years at Best Western, Del Webb, Aramark, Page Steel, and Forever Resorts. He also formed two companies of his own in Leadership Forum and Banyan. George served in many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints always using his superior speaking talents to teach the gospel. George and Eva served two missions after retiring from professional life. They first served in the West Indies for 18 months in 2008-2009. They returned from their first mission to care for Eva’s mother until she passed and then served a second mission in the Cove Fort historic church site as tour guides in 2012. During all of that, they frequently traveled to sporting events, baptisms, priesthood ordinations, temple endowments, missionary farewells, baby blessings, and countless other family related activities. Together, George and Eva had six children, 22 grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. What a posterity! George always credited the success of his large and beautiful family to the gospel of Jesus Christ. His commitment to his covenants made him the man that he was, and he frequently bore that testimony. In his last few years, he was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) a degenerative brain disease that slowly robbed him of many of his physical abilities. Eva cared for him at home until he finally moved to Legacy House in South Jordan where he received excellent care until he was called home on October 10, 2020. He passed away peacefully with Eva by his side. George is survived by his wife Eva and his six children: Kim (Steve Hannay), Skip (Laurene Lewis), Michelle (John Gilleland), Nicole (Theo Martin), Brad (Keryn Tobler), and Weston (Hannah Wall), 22 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and his sister Evelyn. He is preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Carole, Virginia, and Beverly. A viewing will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2020 from 6:00-8:00 pm at Jenkins-Soffe South Valley, 1007 W. South Jordan Parkway, South Jordan, Utah. Masks are required. Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 16, 2020 at 10:00 am by invitation only and will be streamed online at www.jenkins-soffe.com. Interment at Utah Veterans Memorial Park.