Dr. Carl "Jimmy" James Gross III

Dr. Carl James Gross III, D.D.S., died suddenly at age 62 on May 28th, 2013 at Valley Medical Center’s Emergency Care Unit in Renton, WA. He was born November 12th, 1950 to Carl and Leo Gross in Los Angeles, California.

After high school graduation, Carl moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1968. He attended the University of Puget Sound where he received his Bachelor of Science in Biology. While attending UPS, Carl played football, and co-founded both the Ethnic Studies Center and Black Student Union. In 1972 he was selected for the “Who’s Who Among Students” award, one of the most prestigious honors given to college students in the nation. He then went on to attend Dental School at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he graduated with his Doctorate of Dental Surgery. While attending dental school, Carl served as the president of the Student National Dental Association. His high school and college years held some of his fondest memories, and were where he formed many of his lifelong friendships.

Dr. Gross practiced dentistry in the Seattle area for 29 years, including 25 years operating his own practice, Hillside Family Dentistry. Through his work he earned the respect of his patients and peers and was highly regarded in his community.

Carl was a family man. He loved to cook large meals for family gatherings, and enjoyed playing games with his children and grandchildren. His weekends were spent golfing, fishing, or relaxing on the couch watching sports. He also had a passion for music; he sang, played the saxophone, piano, and guitar. Impromptu jam sessions were not uncommon in our household. Carl was a kind, generous man who made friends wherever he went. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a heart of gold. He was a loving, devoted husband and father whose memory will be cherished and held in our hearts forever.

He is survived by his wife Deborah, his three children: Jason Gross, Jennifer Gross, and Jaime Dederer; Six grandchildren: Tommy, Christopher, Giselle, Alexea, Malia, and Gabrielle; and two great-grandchildren: Keirah and Zoriah. Carl is also survived by his brothers Mark Gross and Craig Gross as well as his sister Tamara Gross.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held on Saturday June 8th, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. at Greenwood Memorial Park & Funeral home in Renton, Washington.

“Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come”

–Rabindranath Tagore