George A. Gross

Mr. George A. Gross, age 70, passed away May 23, 2011, in Clinton Township, Mich. He was born April 15, 1941 in Detroit, Mich. He was a member of the Jefferson Masonic Lodge #553, F & AM, St. Clair Shores, Mich. George retired from the U.S. Postal Service as a letter carrier. From 1964 to 1966 he served in the U.S. Army. He is survived by his wife, Suzi; children, Bret, Cynthia (David) Rexer and Deborah; grandchildren, Alexander, Brittany and Corey; siblings, David (Xenia), Kenneth (Carol) and Kathleen (Robert) Girten; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation Thursday, 3-9 p.m., with a funeral service Friday, 11 a.m. at the Kaul Funeral Home located at 28433 Jefferson Avenue, St. Clair Shores, Mich. 48081. Burial will be Saturday, 12:30 p.m. at the Great Lakes National Cemetery, in Holly, Mich. Memorials to the MS Society, 21311 Civic Center Dr., Southfield, MI. 48076.

Actions always spoke louder than words for George A. Gross. The qualities of being fair and just, along with the ability to recognize what was right, were driving forces in his life. George was also the kind of person who could respect a "do not disturb" sign, whether it was real or implied. George was analytical and observant, with an ability to be spontaneous and keenly perceptive. He was modest in his actions and extremely literal in his thoughts and words. When he said something, he meant it. All those who knew him appreciated this trademark quality.

George was born on April 15, 1941. He first greeted the world at Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. His parents were Sherman and Edwina Gross. He grew up in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Even as a small child, he wanted to understand what was right and what was wrong in any given situation. As he grew older, he realized the importance of being treated fairly, and in return, he treated everyone around him the same way. This belief served George well throughout his life and despite his natural shyness, he enjoyed a loyal group of friends.

Since George sought to treat those around him with respect, he would look at the most reasonable and practical ways to settle any disputes. He was raised with three siblings. George had two younger brothers, David and Ken, and one younger sister, Kathy. Ken and Kathy were twins. His mother had four children under the age of 3, all in diapers at the same time. George was constantly involved in activities with his family. While growing up, family and friends viewed George as a quiet and reserved child with what most would consider a calm and tranquil demeanor. He also had the ability to entertain himself and didn’t require much in the way of outside motivation or stimulation. A great deal of his free time was spent learning how and why the things around him worked. He was an active child who loved being outdoors and absorbing all the sensory input that nature could provide.

Being the type of person who would jump into action, he enjoyed some sports while growing up, including baseball. Even as a child, he was the type of person who would get involved in any number of activities.

George's natural curiosity about things was an asset to him while he was in school. He possessed good concentration. He relished the task of scrutinizing the task, investigating all of the options available, then implementing his solution. He enjoyed tackling the project that was right in front of him and working it straight through to its conclusion. Sometimes, he would become so involved in the process of solving a problem that he would lose awareness of his surroundings. He graduated from South Lake High School in 1959. His favorite class was auto mechanics.

George was a go-getter who often allowed his actions to speak for him. Since he found life lessons everywhere he looked, he did not limit his high school years to just the classroom, but was eager to explore the entire world. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, Popular Mechanics magazine, working on cars, and was an avid reader.

Even though the circle of friends was somewhat small, it was a strong and loyal group, and George liked nothing better than to spend his free time with them. He was well known for always being up-front and open, never hiding his true feelings. It was these qualities that drew deep loyalty from his friends because they understood and appreciated him for the person he was. People would often admire George’s ability to link cause and effect. This came naturally to him, and he was able to apply these connections to his everyday life. While growing up George was best friends with Ralph Kredell, later in life he became friends with Norm Muller, Paul McAdory, John Van DeGraaf, and Leonard Simasko.

The same loyalty and up-front honesty George shared with his friends carried over into his relationships with his family. George found a special bond in his relationship with Suzanne (Suzi) Mary Gogas who he married on February 21, 2004 in Las Vegas. Socially-speaking, the couple brought their respective friends together and made some new ones as well. They made their home in St. Clair Shores.

If George believed in a cause or an idea, he was willing to work hard on its behalf. George was a member of several community groups. George was an asset to any organization he joined. In many ways, he was a man of action who would rather tackle a job than spend time chatting about irrelevant things. He worked well on small committees and excelled at focusing on the important details without getting bogged down by the unnecessary parts of a project. George was a member of the Jefferson Masonic Lodge #552, F.&A.M., and also a union representative for the post office.

He had three children, Bret, Cindy, and Debbie. George tried his best to make sure his children were raised in a warm and nurturing environment. Among the pets, his favorite dog was always Taffy, the exceptionally smart Hungarian Vizsla. Later on in life, George was blessed with three grandchildren, Alex, Brittany, and Corey.

George loved the occasions when he was able to travel and get away. He enjoyed learning about different locales and liked exploring new and different places.

George was never impulsive in dealing with problems. Instead, he would carefully think things through before implementing the solution in a logical and objective manner. George was a strong, clear communicator who excelled at eliminating confusion by making matters crystal clear to all those involved.

In his work life, George was the kind of person who had no difficulty in taking on a project and seeing it through to its completion. He excelled at dealing with those small details that can derail some people. Once he understood the exact reasons he was working on a project, he could plow full steam ahead. Even if he worked alone on an assignment, George welcomed new insights from co-workers. Though he had several different jobs throughout his life, his primary occupation was working as a letter carrier. At any given time one could give him a name and he could, by memory give you their address or vice-versa. Many in St. Clair Shores will not only remember him as their mailman but as the friendly bartender at Edward's Bar, which was located on 9 Mile Rd near Mack. He also tried his hand at raising cattle, he started his own trucking company and became the President of Wolverine Expediting. He also tried his hand at raising cattle and enjoyed buying, fixing up and selling houses. He was instrumental in helping many families in getting into their "first" homes as "owners".

George was always willing to do whatever it took in order to get the job done and made the effort to be a team player. Many referred to him as the "smartest guy they'd ever met", which made him the "Go-To" guy for so many in order to solve a problem or get the right answer or solution.

George was an U.S. Army veteran. He understood his duty to serve his country and the importance of completing the job. He was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He was comfortable with the routines of the military and even liked the Army. He was in the Armored Division (tanks) in charge of what is known as the Motor Pool. Through his hard work and dedication to duty, George achieved the final rank of Pvt E-1. He was considered a patriotic man.

George particularly enjoyed the alone time his hobbies provided. Some of his favorite pastimes were deer hunting and fishing, especially deep sea fishing, and reading. He enjoyed traveling to Las Vegas and going on hunting trips to Wyoming. He also enjoyed Montana and Hawaii, returning to Hawaii several times.

George had the ability to stay calm and the determination to do what was necessary to get the job finished. George also enjoyed following his favorite teams and events whenever he got the opportunity. His favorite to watch was baseball and the Detroit Tigers.

George Gross left us on May 23, 2011. He passed away at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital in Clinton Township, Michigan. He was 70 years old. George died from natural causes, with complications from diabetes and pneumonia. He is survived by his wife, Suzi; children, Bret, Cynthia (David) Rexer and Deborah; grandchildren, Alexander, Brittany and Corey; siblings, David (Xenia), Kenneth (Carol) and Kathleen (Robert) Girten; and many nieces and nephews. Services were handled by Kaul Funeral Home in St. Clair Shores, Michigan on May 27, 2011. George was laid to rest at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan on May 28, 2011.

George was the type of person who would show others how he felt through his actions. He was practical and realistic, but was able to be flexible when the need arose. He experienced life directly, rather than sit back and talk about it. The experiences he treasured most were those he shared with his loved ones. George A. Gross will be greatly missed.