I recently was going through the obituary list for someone who had recently left us, and I happened to notice that Mr. Ross pass away last June. Mr. Ross was my Geometry teacher in my sophomore year at Irondequoit H.S. His ability to have you focus on specifics of the subject matter was extraordinary. He had a special way to get those who tended to 'tune out' to get back on task in a hurry. I remember one specific method he had of circling with a piece of chalk a key step in the analytical process to get to the finality of what was to be proven. He would encircle this step of the proof over and over again, speaking about how the snow flakes were falling to the ground (from the chalk residue), then tracking a chalk line down one of the aisles of the classroom to a waiting victim, then continuing the line up the leg of their desk along the top of the desk and onto their awaiting nose. This was what he sometimes resorted to doing to get some of those in class to resort to putting in more work, so that they would be eliminated from the teacher's special list. 
He was truly someone that I admired as a teacher, and he was my inspiration to be a career teacher myself. I enjoyed his style of educating his students, especially in his enjoyment of what he did, and the humor that he injected into his methods of getting across the specifics of what we had to learn to be successful academically. I followed that type of style in my methods also because I found that in teaching Geometry myself for 20+ years, it made the difficulties of learning that necessary subject matter for the students, which at times was quite dry for so many, a much more palpable way for most of the students to see more success in that course; and, certainly a much more likely way to draw into the mix, those that found such a course either boring or from being completely out of touch within the range of their abilities.
I was also one of his players on the basketball team that Mr. Ross coached at our high school. He was always quite gracious and treated us all fairly. 
If we could all spend about a half an hour on a day when we are relaxing and enjoying the wonders of the outdoors, in order to name the five most influential people in our lives who helped to mold 'what we became' as a person, and/or those who helped to open the doors for the 'direction' that our lives took, in my case, Mr. Ross is certainly one of those five for me, without question.

Respectfully, 
Robert E. Schlegel
Class of 1962

Kitty: We greatly missed our times together in Florida after we both left for permanent residence in the north and we couldn't locate you. You and Don were such great friends from the very beginning in Irondequoit and Don impacted so positively with so many 
people no matter where he lived. Our deepest sympathy to you, Peggy, Susie and family. Please contact us.
Ron and Pat Graves

I had Mr. Ross for 2 years in a row and will never forget him. He inspired me to achieve things I never thought I could!!!! His sense of humor was amazing. And I will never forget him!! My sympathy to his whole family. My hope is that they get some comfort knowing how many lives he touched!!!!

My thoughts and prayers go to Mr. Ross's family.  Mr. Ross was my math teacher in 1961 at Irondequoit.  He was a great teacher with a great sense of humor.  He was interested in his students and helping them progress in class and life.

Uncle Don was a great man with a wonderful sense of humor, always ready to play a game of chess or tennis with my dad (always hoping to beat his older brother, of course)!  He called me Carol Barrel (or Barol) and always said that he was the one to encourage me to go into Music as opposed to Math so that I wouldn't have him for an advanced Math class and be witness to the crazy antics in his classroom!  Whenever we would see him he would have a silly joke or a Math problem that I could never figure out. I can't think of him without smiling at something I remember him saying or doing.  We'll miss you, UD!

My condolences to Kitty, Peggy, Susie, and the entire family.  Don was a good person in every way.  Personally, I would still be attending Irondequoit High School if Don had not looked after me and scrutinized every math test to squeeze every point for me that he could!!  And he was a dear friend to my mother, for which I am ever grateful.  We all have suffered a loss with Don's passing, but are eternally better having had such a special man touch our hearts and lives.     Much love,  Dorothy

OBITUARY

Donald E. Ross

October 6, 1926 – June 18, 2014

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