November 6, 1925 – November 23, 2019
E. Ross Hogan of Damascus, OR, died on November 23, 2019 at the Kaiser Sunnyside Medical Center at the age of 94.
Ross is survived by his daughter-in-law, Sue Hogan of Kansas, 6 grandchildren, Spring Wilkins of Arizona, Tim Oremus of Washington, Joe Oremus of Ohio, and Katie Callaway, Tracy Hogan, and Becky Hogan all of Kansas, as well as 5 great grandchildren – Olivia, Eva, Wally, Marley, and TJ. He was preceded in death by his mother Eva, sister Betty, beloved wife Kitty, and all 4 of his children – Kathleen, Ross Jr, Jim, and Patricia.
Ross was born on November 6, 1925 in Easton, Pennsylvania to Eva C. Plum and Edmund Ross Hogan. He graduated from Easton High School in 1943 and entered the United States Army Air Forces in April 1945, serving through September 1946. Ross then attended Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1950. Ross spent his career with the carbon products division of Union Carbide Corporation, working his way up through the ranks of the sales department. Ross’ work ethic and competence were recognized by his superiors and customers throughout his career and he retired with great pride in 1988.
Ross married the love of his life, Kathryn “Kitty” Beatrice Burns on September 3, 1949. Introduced to each other by his sister Betty, Ross and Kitty spent 65 wonderful years together before her death in 2014. In 1952 they welcomed their first child, Kathleen. Then came twins Patricia and Ross, Jr in 1954, and the family entertainer Jim in 1956.
To say Ross was meticulous would be to only scratch the surface of the level of discipline and detail Ross adhered to. He was never late, and his expectations were clear simply based on the number of clocks in their home – universally wound to perfection at all times. He was one of the most dependable human beings on the planet; never wavering from the routine of getting things done, always keeping up with the care and maintenance of everything on schedule (per the manual - which he always had), as his 41-year-old Maytag washer and dryer can attest. Ross had a lifelong fascination with planes, trains, and automobiles - and whether it was flying airplanes in the military to shifting gears in one of his cherished Mazda sports cars, he was never far from something that went fast. He was the consummate photographer, and anywhere he went he was able to find something worthy of his time to take a picture of. No family member, friend, or neighbor was spared of the requirement to pose near whatever item had Ross’ interest at the moment.
Ross’ love for his family was steadfast, and he spent his 65 years with Kitty devotedly washing her dishes, reaching the tall things, patiently posing with the kids in family photos, and showering her with engraved jewelry. His children and grandchildren had the privilege of growing up knowing Grandpa Ross and Grandma Kitty were there for them; whatever their family was going through, Ross and Kitty represented home base – a place to regroup and recover.
As a family – we will be forever grateful for the fellowship and support from the SE Debora Drive neighborhood, past and present. The memories of summer and holiday fun, growing up together, and the incredible support shown for Ross, Kitty, and Pat over the years are held so deeply in our hearts. As was noted so eloquently by a neighbor, not only has our family lost its patriarch, the neighborhood has lost theirs as well. He will be forever missed by all those lucky enough to have known him.
A Celebration of Ross’ Life gathering will be on Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 11a.m. at Bateman Carroll Funeral Home in the Timberline Room.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.5