David Stanley Ross
March 20, 1941 ~ August 17, 2026
Resided in: Jacksonville Beach, Florida
David Stanley Ross, beloved father and grandfather, passed away peacefully on August 17, 2026, at the age of 85. He was born on March 20, 1941, in Columbus, Ohio.
David grew up in Columbus and proudly served his country in the United States Army from 1961 to 1962. Following his military service, he returned to Ohio to continue his education at The Ohio State University, where he pursued his studies and carried with him a lifelong connection to his Ohio roots.
David lived in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where he loved the beauty of coastal living.
David was an active and adventurous person who enjoyed staying fit and making the most of life. When he was healthy, he loved working out and trying different activities. From Spin classes and Nordic pole walking to paddleboarding and croquet, he embraced an active lifestyle and enjoyed being outdoors and staying moving. His energy, determination, and willingness to try new things were a special part of who he was.
David will be deeply missed by his daughter, Rachel Ross Kurtz, and his beloved granddaughters, Zoe Kurtz and Sky Kurtz and brother Allen Ross. His family was the greatest part of his life, and his memory will live on through the love they shared and the many memories they made together.
He will be remembered for his love of the beach, his active spirit, his service to his country, his connection to the places that meant home to him, and most of all, for the lasting love he gave to his family.
David’s final resting place will be connected to the place he loved most—the ocean.
He will be loved, remembered, and missed always.
Crevasse’s Simple Cremation is honored to serve the Ross family.
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David was an interesting person with all of his activities and we enjoyed spending time with him at family gatherings. My son Darrin loved him and helped to take care of him. David loved his family, especially Rachel and his granddaughters. He will be missed.
He was such an accomplished person. He’d tried his hand at any number of professions and had such a depth and breadth of knowledge. He had a calming, reassuring and protective presence, without saying a word. But when he did say something, half of the time it was professional level, dead-pan, dry wit comedy. David was funny!
He would call my mother sometimes in the evenings. They worked in real estate together in the 90s. She’d usually have the phone on speaker. So that was my first introduction to this witty, charming guy! Hearing some of the stuff he came up with. I remember one of his maxims: “You’re as old as you look” – ha! And he looked quite good for his age! He was really on a par with a professional athlete with his dedication to fitness. He was quite interested in alternative health as were my mother and I. We all sold “Melaleuca” brand natural products for a time. I think my mother and I used them and enjoyed them more so than selling them.
But David could sell. I think that’s a special talent that speaks to being able to inspire and to engender people’s trust. It also takes confidence. He sold adjustable beds as a side gig for a time and did quite well! He’d also had business ventures in Taiwan. He’d even worked in restaurant supply. One day he told me: “You know that kale everyone is crazy about these days? We used to supply that to the restaurants just for decoration on their salad bars. Nobody ate it.”
I remember walking with him one winter’s day here in Ohio. We’d stopped to pick something up at his house for a real estate deal. I would sometimes tag along with him or my mother on their errands. We got out and were trudging along in the snow and he said, “This is what we get for being too stupid to move to Florida.” Ahaha! I think it was the next year that he did just that!
I know it was important for him to be near his daughter and her family, there. I think he really enjoyed Florida! He invited me down but I never could seem to swing it. I wish I had. I would call him almost every year on his birthday. I last got to talk with him a year or so, ago. Something just told me to check on him last evening…well, I came upon the news that he had sadly passed. He will be truly missed. He was there for me when my mother was dying – all the way up until the night she did pass. We always knew we had a true friend in him. David – you were great.