Gail Loos-Ross passed away on August 16, 2022, at the age of 95, in Phoenix, Arizona. Gail was born on September 12, 1926, to Edna and Jasper Turpin in Tulare, South Dakota. She graduated from Methodist State Hospital School of Nursing Mitchell, South Dakota in 1947 and shortly thereafter married Norbert Loos. They moved to Rapid City, South Dakota and had 4 children. After their divorce, Gail raised her children with the help of her family and led her children through life by her example. She practiced her nursing career in Rapid City, South Dakota, Mesa and Casa Grande, Arizona for 53 years.
Before moving to Arizona, she met the second love of her life, Bob Ross, and in 1977 Gail and Bob moved the family to Phoenix, Arizona when her first grandson was born.
On September 19, 1997, after a family reunion in Rapid City, South Dakota, and unbeknownst to the family, she called and told them that on their way home from South Dakota, she had married Bob in Laughlin, Nevada.
Being South Dakotans, they moved to Casa Grande, Arizona in the late 1980’s and lived there until Bob passed away in 2005. They enjoyed camping, traveling, country music, a good joke, as well as taking the grandchildren out in the dune buggy.
They were active members of the Elks Lodge, American Legion and VFW. Gail was a supporter of macular degeneration research, Arizona Humane Society, ASPCA, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and VFW Auxiliary. Gail enjoyed hunting and fishing, watching and/or going to baseball games, was an avid mystery book reader, card player, daily Price Is Right and The Young and The Restless watcher, earring collector and loved to work crossword puzzles. Each day she impatiently waited for the newspaper to be delivered by 4 a.m. and it better not be late! But her favorite pastime was spending time with her family and friends (especially the great grandkids). She enjoyed a good prime rib with wine and a prickly pear margarita with her Mexican food (NO RICE!).
In 2006 Gail moved to Laveen, Arizona where she lived with her daughter, Shelley, and her family for the next 16 years. She suffered from macular degeneration and chronic kidney disease. A debilitating fall in 2021 took away her independence. Her health declined over the next year and a second fall sent her home to family, friends, and our heavenly father.
She was a kind and gentle person with a lovely soul. She loved her family more than anything else. She was the best MOM, and we will miss her more than words can say. We now have a super special angel watching over us.
Gail is preceded in death by her husbands, Norbert Loos and Bob Ross, her son Ken Loos, brothers Virgil (Mildene), and Claude (Shirley) Turpin, brother-in-law Jim Simerly, son-in-law Frank Clark, cat Marcie, grand-dog Stitch, and many other family members and friends.
Gail is survived by her sister Della Simerly, her daughters Sharon Clark, Shelley Parkhurst (Dave) and Janette LaFortune, daughter-in-law, Marilyn Schatz, as well as 6 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of her life will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 10 a.m., at Valley of the Sun Mortuary, 10940 E. Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, AZ 85248, with a luncheon reception following at the family’s home.
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