David Gross

Born in Dover, New Hampshire on March 20, 1962, Dave eventually found his way to the Midwest, where he spent many years building a life centered on hard work and the great outdoors. A skilled tradesman, Dave spent his career in maintenance and HVAC, working for United Heating and AC and various apartment communities. To those who worked alongside him, he was the man who had a solution for every problem. Whether it was a broken furnace or a complex mechanical issue, Dave’s defining trait was his legendary ability to “fix anything.”

While he was a man of practical skills, Dave also possessed a hidden, gentle artistry. His family fondly remembers the time he surprised them by drawing a stunningly detailed lion on his daughter Amanda’s cast when she broke her leg at just five years old—a glimpse into the creative soul beneath his rugged exterior.

Dave was at his happiest when life was simple: whether that was waiting for a bite on a fishing line, listening to the crickets sing as the sun went down, tracking through the woods while hunting, or cheering on his beloved Kansas City Chiefs any chance he could. His home was often filled with the sounds of the legends he loved—Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and of course Bruce Springsteen. He found great companionship in his dogs he raised from puppies, Nikki and Hunter, and especially his beloved cat Missy whom he all raised with a tenderness that reflected his deep love for animals and nature.

Among his most cherished memories was a family trip to a wildlife park near Branson, Missouri. He loved recounting the chaos of a giraffe’s giant tongue reaching through the sunroof and a buffalo nudging their car along—a day filled with the kind of laughter and love he wanted for his daughters, Amanda and Taylor, to experience.

In recent years, Dave struggled to see the light he brought into the world. He battled the belief that his work here was done and that he would not be missed. But the truth is, he was deeply loved. For his daughters, the greatest gift of recent years wasn't what he could fix with his hands, but the opportunity to know him all over again as adults. For him to know his grandkids and for them to know him. To him, the message remains: You were always enough, you were forgiven, and you never needed to punish yourself.

He is survived by his two daughters, Amanda Ann Gross and Taylor Marie Gross Ancona. Amanda is married to Patrick Nyman and they have four children in their beautifully blended family. Taylor is married to Domenic Ancona and they have three children in their lovely blended family. He was preceded in death by his father, but his mother Helen Gross is still with us as well as his two younger brothers, Daniel Gross and TJ Maskell.

Dave’s legacy lives on in his daughters, who carry his strength and his spirit with them. This experience teaches them that "every day counts," and though his own journey may have ended in shadows, his family chooses to remember him in the light—fixed, whole, and finally at rest.

May his soul find the peace he couldn't find on earth. We love you, Dad.