Abe Ross Jr.

Abe Ross, Jr. passed away peacefully at home February 12, 2016. Born in Shawnee, OK to Abraham Lincoln Ross and Mary Duke, he grew up the last of four siblings in Sulphur, OK and Denison, TX where he assisted in his father’s cattle and trucking businesses and where he developed his passion for cowboy life, tennis, trumpet and the University of Oklahoma. He left OU in 1945 to serve in the US Navy at Coronado Island, CA and completed his business degree in 1950 after he lettered in tennis 4 years, played the trumpet in campus dance bands, and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. He met Marjorie Binner on a blind date at OU which led to 64 years of dedication to her and to their lucky children. His strong values of commitment and service as well as his love of cheese are evidenced by his 40 year career as salesman and manager at Kraft Foods in Dallas, Nashville, Raleigh and Charlotte. He developed many of his most enduring friends at Olde Providence Tennis Club and as a charter member of the Raleigh Racquet Club and as a competitive player on the “senior tour.” You could find him celebrating OU football games with the Charlotte OU Club and he maintained strong allegiances to the Panthers and Cowboys on Sundays. A news hound, steak and sweets lover, and admirer of saddles and all things western, he will be remembered for his story-telling, humor, and generosity of spirit and his legend will only grow larger with time. Boomer Sooner!

The family expresses their heartfelt warmth for the love and kindness of his many friends, his neighbors in Kingswood and Southminster and the staff at Southminster, Sanger Clinic, and Hospice & Palliative Care of Charlotte.

He is survived by his wife Marge, his children Kelly (Dennis Knapp), Kim (Greg Kitko), and Kip (Christine Eckermann), and niece Betty Wells of Norman, OK.

A small celebration of life service will be held at 11 am Saturday, February 20 at Southminster Retirement Community. Private interment was held at Sharon Memorial Park Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Humane Society of Charlotte