Craig Michael Ross

Craig Michael Ross, 78, died on Wednesday, July 24th, at Glendale, Arizona of pancreatic cancer. Craig is survived by his wife, Margaret Nash Ross, and his children Lisa (Ryan) Krall, of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Michael (Jyllian) of Bothell, Washington, Kim (Karlton) Hahn of Mountlake Terrace, Washington, and a step-daughter, Lisa (Steven) Van Gemert of Arlington, Texas.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Marissa Ross, Brysen Ross, Gregory (Jennifer) Kline, Jonathan (Alyssa) Kline, Joseph (Angela) Kline, Ruby Krall, Nelson (Alicia) Krall, Georgia (Liam) Gallagher, Tatum Hahn, and Bailey Hahn, as well as six great-grandchildren.

Craig was born on June 30, 1946, in Portland, Oregon, one of two children of Kenneth and Carole (Larson) Ross. His beloved younger sister Donna predeceased him.

He joined the United States Air Force at the age of nineteen and served as an accounting specialist. After his military service, Craig attended California State University, Fullerton, and became an accountant, even though he said he had wanted to be a history teacher. He was not the first to have a career path changed by the military. He later obtained an MBA from the University of Washington.

During his career he served as the corporate financial officer in various industries and non-profit organizations, including the Pierce County AIDS Foundation and Higher Achievement, an education foundation in Washington, D.C. He even did a brief stint as a Starbucks barista, which was a little like the fox guarding the henhouse.

He would ride his bike to work along the Mount Vernon Trail from his home in Alexandria, Virginia to his office near the White House. To be kind to his co-workers, he had a membership at a fitness center nearby so he could shower after his ride.

He also volunteered as a Community Accountability Board Member for a program that diverts youth from the juvenile justice system and helps facilitate the making of better choices.

Craig married Walene Rathsack in 1971, and they had three children, Lisa, Michael, and Kim.

Though there were many, one of their favorite memories with Dad was their biking and camping adventures to Spencer Spit Park on Lopez Island, part of the San Juan Islands.

As often happens, one chapter ended, and another began. Craig married Margaret on August 25, 1990.

Craig and Margaret had attended Costa Mesa High School together, but they didn’t know each other. They met at their 25th high school reunion in Newport Beach, and after he took dance lessons to complete her list of 50 requirements for a husband, they married. They share their four children, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, and their cat, Eloise, who doesn’t like any other humans besides Craig, so that’s a problem.

After retiring, Craig and Margaret returned from Alexandria, Virginia, to their home in University Place, Washington. There, they devoted themselves to creating and sustaining the Remann Hall Book Club, a book club for youth detained in the county’s juvenile detention facility. Craig and Margaret influenced hundreds and hundreds of youth through the power of books. The book club was featured in the New York Times as an example of how poetry can influence youth.

He was recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer of Pierce County multiple times.

Craig and Margaret are also supporters of the Library of Congress, and enjoy promoting the mission of the Library, as well as attending events as Friends of the Library. Even though his favorite song was Stairway to Heaven, he would have a new favorite every time the Gershwin Prize was awarded, so Benny and the Jets and other songs also got lots of playtime.

Craig, an avid cyclist and golfer, rode the Seattle-to-Portland three times, twice with his great friend, Dr. John Dimant. He also did the unofficial Hotter Than You-Know-Where race along Sun Valley Parkway from his home in Sun City Festival to Surprise more times than we can count.

He developed a love of reading and poetry after his marriage to Margaret, partly out of a growing love, and partly to fulfill that list of 50 requirements. His favorite book was Herman Wouk’s The Winds of War. He read it first when he was younger than the book’s protagonist, Pug Henry, and then years later when he was older, and he often shared how that showed him the way one’s perspective changed over time. It was important to him to share that insight with his grandchildren.

He also loved traveling with Margaret, especially to Newport Beach, California and back to Washington, D.C. He loved the chili cheese omelets at Charlie’s Chili at the base of the Newport Pier, maybe just a little bit more than he loved the chili at Hard Times in Alexandria.

He loved dark chocolate, especially when it was in rocky road ice cream, and he firmly believed that espresso was the elixir of the gods. He would run back into a burning house for his Jura espresso maker. He chose his Jura because it could make lattes, too, and he made Margaret a latte every morning for twenty years.

When asked what he loved most, his list included only people – Margaret, his children, his grandchildren, his great-grandchildren, other family members, and his friends. They all loved him, too. They all cherish memories made at the beloved Octagon House in University Place – memories of the koi pond, evenings curled up in the family room, sunset alerts, and even family weddings.

Craig was kind, a great listener, and he made everyone around him feel that they mattered. He could do a hilarious chicken walk, which he perfected at Reagan National Airport. He was not perfect, as he liked to point out, but his grandchildren may argue that point. To Margaret, he was the perfect partner.

His grandchildren told him that his example encouraged them to become the best people they could be.

His family is forever grateful for their friends and neighbors at Sun City Festival who have been a source of love and support through the past sixteen months, as well as the medical providers who helped him in this last, great battle. Dr. Christine Saraceni managed Craig’s health and comfort from the day of his diagnosis. The family honors her for her compassionate care.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, September 28th in Sun City Festival.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (https://pancan.org/) or the Library of Congress (https://www.loc.gov/philanthropy/online-donation/fund) in Craig’s memory would be greatly appreciated by his family. Feel free to drop a copy of Winds of War into a Little Free Library near you.

If you were a friend of Craig’s, know that he loved you and was so grateful to spend time with you. When you get to heaven, we’re pretty sure he’ll have a latte, a smile, and a kind word waiting for you.