Richard Junior Gross

Dick was born December 16th, 1934, in Colorado Springs, Colorado and died October 14th, 2025 at Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City, Oregon.

He was 90 years old. He is survived by his sons Todd and his wife Kim, Kurt and his wife Susan and his brother Frank. He had 7 grandkids, Karen, Stephanie, Kathi, Tom, Nicole, Tim, Thaddeus. He also had 7 great grandkids Matthew, Jonathan, Mavrick, Landon, William & Chloe. Dick was preceded by his lovey wife Dani, his son Ricky, brothers Orie, Wallace, sister Jodie, Vivian, Betty, Doris and granddaughter Rachel.

He served in the Army from 1954 to 1957.

While attending a friend’s wedding he meets his love of his life Dani. They got married on October 20th, 1958. Dick put it to Dani like this before they got married “I will make the money, you take care of it” DEAL she said.

The family had their first son Ricky in 1959. In 1962 they had their second son Todd.

In the early 60’s the family with 2 young boys moved to Walnut Creek, California to work on a Dam near Orinda Village in the San Fransico Area. Shortly after, the family was transferred to Mangla, West Pakistan to assist in building the dam over there.

The oldest son (Ricky) dies from medical overdose on Easter Morning April 14, 1963, at this project. Ricky was returned and buried at the Grand Junction Municipal Cemetery in Orchard Mesa. In 1964 a 3rd son Kurt was born over in West Pakistan. The family returned to Colorado in 1965 due to illness of a grandfather. Due to the growing unrest between West Pakistan and India they decided not to return to the project and relocated the family to Portland, OR.

Dick went to work for Interstate Tractor, a heavy equipment company.

Dick coached the boys little league baseball team. He took the family on fishing and camping trips. They started out in a tent and moved up to a 24’ Chinook motorhome, which Todd said it was the “ugliest motorhome on the planet!” They did, however, rent a newer model one time to journey to Los Angeles to visit the Queen Mary. Todd & Kurt were doing a little rough housing in the moving motorhome when a “loud Crash” happened. So, the table cushion somehow hit one of their heads and it went through the window in the back. Let’s just says I think Dani told the boys “wait tell your dad gets home” to many times.

In 1984 Dick & Dani opened their own business Dick Gross Equipment Sales. The business started at their house in Wilsonville OR. Eventually they moved it to Canby, OR.

Dick and Dani got involved with the VCCA in 1969, short for Vintage Chevrolet Club of America, and were very active members until Dani was diagnosed with Progressive MS in 1991. Dick was dedicated to Dani and just like back in 1958 when he said in his vows “for better and for worse”, he was her primary caregiver from the onset of the disease to her last breath in 2006. He would not have anyone else come in and help.

Dick continued to live at the Wilsonville house after her death. One morning in 2016 he drove into Wilsonville to have breakfast like he had for many years. Kurt & Susan got a call from the Wilsonville fire department saying they have Dick here at the station and he can’t remember how to get home. He had done this drive for 41 years. Dick ended up being diagnosed with Dementia later that year. We moved dick in 2017 to an assist living facility. In 2023 he was moved to memory care of the same facility. He went into Willamette Falls Hospital on October 8th, 2025. He passed peacefully on Thursday October 14th at 1:47am.

Hopefully Dick and Dani are reunited and together again. Dick had a saying he always told everyone when leaving, and if he was here today, this is what he would say --

“HANG IN THERE, KEEP SMILING, BE HAPPY AND HAVE FUN!!!!