We were much saddened and shocked to hear of Ron's passing.  It was too sudden.  Too soon.  We were not ready for him to leave.  A few thoughts of our piper lad follow:

Ron.   The day our cousin Carol married Ron, he became a full-fledged member of the family.  He was there, part of our lives.  Laughing in happy times, consoling in sad.

Ron.   Family piper.   The first question to Ron when he and the gang visited?  "Did you bring your pipes? The answer was always "Yes"!  Ron would indeed play his pipes... At weddings in full formal kilted glory;  in Mom's basement in his stocking feet, t-shirt, pom-pom tam and a plastic lei!, outside in winter gear on a cold New Year,s Eve with no crowd... just a quiet and thankless neighborhood! That was our Piper lad.  Thank you Ron.

Ron.   Solemn.  Sincere.  Silly.   As the occasion befitted.

Ron.   A good man and kind.  Always up-beat, enjoying life.  Grateful for the smallest favor life offered.  Humble.  Ron always had a smile, a good word, a wee joke for you.

Ron.   Adventurer and traveler. His life - and his trucking days - took him afar, seeking the wonder of new places and new friends. His life's journey was rich and full.

Ron.   He loved life.  He loved people. Most of all he loved his family.  Family we all hold in our hearts at this time -  Carol, Adrienne, Stuart, Abby, Chelsea and Judd. 
Memories of our beloved lost piper now fill the space he has left in our hearts.
 
Our tribute comes with much love from Harland, Iso, Harlie and Kristen xoxoxoxo

Ron was the first ex-pat baby born in the new Jos Hospital in Northern Nigeria in July 1942. I followed a month and a half later and we generally grew up together either in Nigeria or back in Scotland at boarding school or at College in Edinburgh.
In 1946 September, four little boys arrive at a private villa in Angle-dee near Bukuru, Northern Nigeria. This was the start of a private kindergarden-type school for British expatriates under the motherly attention of Marie Prescott, the wife of a fellow employee of NESCO (Nigeria Electricity Supply Company) where Ron’s dad, Tommy Ross, also worked. The other boys attending PA were Brian Horne, Hamish Stewart and myself. We were the forerunners of what eventually became known as “Prescott Academy” which taught several mainly the ex-pat under 11’s before they generally went off to boarding school in UK or elsewhere in the Commonwealth.
Following this route, in September 1951, Ron and I were dropped off by our respective mothers (weeping all round) at Academy House in Crieff, one of the boarding houses to Morrisons Academy, a Scottish private school where both my brothers had preceded us but Ron and I were very much “wee-boys” in a 30-boy boarding house within a 350 strong school. Neither of us had any social graces having been raised in the sunshine of Africa with very few fellow children of our age, so we were subject to some strict guidance by our matron (and our fellow pupils). We entered at Primary 4 and 9 years later left after our Scottish Schools Leaving Certificates and both of us entered College-tutoring in Edinburgh where, in 1964/5 Ron emigrated to Canada and built his life there. 
During the 10 years at Morrisons we both were involved in the pipe band and became active pipers in 1957 spending the subsequent 4 years in a very successful school pipe band winning both East and West of Scotland pipe band championships as well as individual piping cups. In Edinburgh and Canada, Ron maintained his piping activity whereas my own was limited to St Andrews or Burns Supper piping but we were able to meet up again in 2010 when Ron and I and several of our past band-members celebrated our old school’s 150th Anniversary and played in a joint school and former pupil pipe band in Crieff to mark the occasion. (Both of us had also participated in the 1960 100-years celebration so this 50 years on was quite an occasion). The next day we also had a lunch together with several of the other former ex-Nigerians who were also connected to Morrisons Academy and a good time was had by all.
Let’s hope that Ron has not left his pipes behind on his next journey. I know he will always play at the drop of the hat! 
Farewell old pal.
Colin McNab.

I’m so sorry to hear about Ron’s passing.  I used to see him when he would come into Steve’s Quik Chek and he would share his scouting and chauffeuring adventures!  He was a lovely man and a kind soul.

OBITUARY

Ronald Campbell Ross

July 10, 1942 – May 21, 2020

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