William Harris Ross

On Sunday morning, our beloved Bill slipped earth's surly bonds and began his soul's adventure beyond the horizon, a place we cannot yet see but one day will. He passed peacefully in the arms of family.

Bill was born in Clarks Green, Pennsylvania, to Rutherford B. Ross, a railroad engineer, and Lillian Mae Rogers Ross. He was one of twelve children.

When Bill was seven years old, his mother passed away. Determined to provide for his large family, his father interviewed several housekeepers before hiring Charlotte Louise Oppelt. In time, they married, creating a loving home for the Ross children.

Following a family tradition of military service, Bill joined the United States Navy and served on Saipan during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge, he returned to the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and began a career as a lineman with AT&T. During this time, he met and married Barbara Ann Esselborn. Together they raised three children: William, Dean, and Kris.

In 1966, AT&T assigned Bill to a position on Guam in the South Pacific. There, he worked in a hardened underground complex that served as a critical hub for the nation's transoceanic communications network. Life on Guam suited Bill well. He developed a love for the island's cuisine, established himself as a skilled fisherman, landing many tuna, wahoo, and mahi-mahi, as well as a remarkable 367-pound marlin, and he began running daily. Over the years he ran over 75,000 miles which is about three times around the equator.

In 1972, Bill and his family returned stateside and settled in Succasunna, New Jersey. He continued his career joining AT&T's Long Lines division, working aboard several of the companies cable ships His work helped lay and maintain deep-sea communications cables across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean.

He retired from AT&T in 1987 after a distinguished career spanning decades of technological advancement and evolutions in global communications.

In 1993, Bill married Linda Lange, welcoming her sons Victor and Jeff into his family. That year Bill and Linda moved to Key West, Florida where they enjoyed many friendships. There he founded Original Wooden Creations, a woodworking business that reflected his love of tropical life and nature. In 2002, they relocated to Navarre, Florida, where Bill continued creating handcrafted pieces, developing a line of colorful animated "rocking critters," which he gifted or sold at local markets.

Bill will be remembered for his captivating blue eyes, an easy smile, a penchant for singing little ditties, and a questionable sense of humor. He was known for his kindness, adventurous spirit, craftsmanship, and ability to find joy wherever life carried him, whether across oceans, beneath tropical skies, or in the company of those he loved most.

He treasured his growing family and took special joy in being a grandfather and great-grandfather. Nothing brought Bill more happiness than watching them play, grow, and sharing in their lives.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; children William (Barbara), Kris; Victor (Jill) and Jeff (Rose); grandchildren Brianne (Nathan), Jesse (Autumn), Devon (Daniel), Andrew, Jake; and Sawyer, Bailey, and Oliver; and great-grandchildren Emerson, Greyson; Taylor, Tristan, Jonah; and Enoch, Milo, and Artemis; as well as family members and friends who will cherish his memory. Bill is pre-deceased by his son Dean.

A Mass will be held at St Joseph Catholic Church, 3425 Andersonville Hwy, Andersonville TN 37705 on November 7th at 10:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made, in Bill's memory, to the Keystone Adult Day Program, where he enjoyed many joy-filled hours with a close-knit community of friends and caregivers.

Online: Keystone Adult Day Program
Mail: Keystone, 1350 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Phone: 865-483-6631 Phyllis Spangler