John Ross' Obituary
John Michael Ross entered Eternal Life on Tuesday, February 28, 2006, at home with his family at his side. He was born on October 9, 1936 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, the son of Elmer R. and Ethel (Reese) Ross. He was a graduate of P.J. Jacobs High School, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in conservation education from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. After graduation, he worked at First National Bank of Stevens Point, completing advanced studies in accounting at the American Institute of Banking. John became a National Park Service Ranger-Naturalist on the Blue Ridge Parkway, then entered Indiana University, receiving a Master of Science degree in Recreation and Park Administration. He joined the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, Department of the Interior as a Recreation Resource Specialist, working on legislation establishing wild rivers, reservoirs, and other federal recreational areas. In 1969, John joined the faculty in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration at Indiana University in Bloomington. In his 29 year career there, he developed and taught graduate and undergraduate courses including Dynamics of Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Commercial Recreation, Fund Raising in Public and Non-Profit Agencies, Outdoor Artists and Writers, and Outdoor Ministry. From 1984 to 1994, John was the Director of Development and External Relations for the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation in association with the Indiana University Foundation. He was also the founder and director of the Philanthropy and Americans Outdoors workshops, a national training program in partnership building and fundraising, and a Senior Fellow of the Eppley Institute. Since retirement in 1998, John and his wife, Nancy, have divided their time between their home of 38 years in Bloomington, IN., and their log home on the shores of the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes in Wisconsin. John has been a member of the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Foundation Board, serving as president from 2002-4. He was also a member of the College of Natural Resources Advisory Board and established the Ross-Schmeekle Endowment Fund for the support of the Schmeekle Reserve, an area of the campus named for his mentor, Fred Schmeekle. John was very concerned with the improvement of the environment and maintaining the water quality of the Chain O' Lakes. Shoreline restoration was his ongoing project. The church was a major focus throughout John's life. He was active as a youth leader at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Stevens Point, a member of numerous committees at Faith Lutheran Church in Bloomington and a new volunteer at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waupaca. Camp Luther at Three Lakes, Wisconsin, was an early interest, and he continued to support the idea of outdoor ministry and of taking the church to the people in a recreational setting. He was an active genealogist, researching his German Lutheran heritage in Marquette County and Superior, Wisconsin. John is survived by Nancy(nee Bartholomew), his wife of 40 years; two children, Michele (Tim) Drake,
of Waupaca, and Michael (Laura) of Loveland, Ohio; four grandchildren, Aidan, Samantha, and Quinn Ross and Joseph Drake; two brothers, David (Nadine) Ross of Burlington, NC. and Charles (Suzanne) Ross of Appleton, WI; one aunt, many cousins, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Laura Jean. Visitation will be at A.J. Holly & Sons Funeral Home, 526 S. Main St., Waupaca, WI, on Friday, March 3, 2006, from 4-7 pm., and at Trinity Lutheran Church, 206 E. Badger St., Waupaca, WI. from 10 am until the time of service at 11 am. Interment will follow at the Plover Cemetery, Plover, WI. at approximately 2:30 pm. Memorials in John's honor can be made to the American Cancer Society, your local Hospice, or the Ross-Schmeekle Endowment Fund of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Foundation, Stevens Point, WI., 54481.
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