Robert “Bob” Harold Ross passed away at his nursing home on January 3, 2026, in Williamsburg, VA, at age 80, following his battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He was born on February 24, 1945, in Port Huron, Ml, the son of G. Gordon Ross, Jr. and Winona (Snowdon) Ross, and the brother of Ruth Claire (Ross) Dickinson, all of whom have preceded him.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Theda L. Rudd; his son, David W. Rudd Ross (Mackenzie L. Israel-Trummel); and his two grandchildren, Amina Z. Rudd-Trummel (7) and Demetrius P. Israel-Ross (4), who lovingly called him “GrandBob.”

Also surviving him are his nephew Mark Dickinson (Rita) of Georgetown, TX; nephew Craig Dickinson (Lorrie) of Wesley Chapel, FL; niece Jessie Haggith (Jody) of Glencoe, ON; first wife Jane M. Ross of Grand Rapids, MI; sister-in-law Joanne Dickinson of Port Huron, Ml; sister-in-law Theresa Adjei (Kofi) of Duluth, GA; brother-in-law Thomas Prince of Stone Mountain, GA; sister-in-law Lynette Yankson of Charlotte, NC; half-sister-in-law Ebony Thomas of Ann Arbor, MI; niece Qena (Desmond) Armstrong of Nashville, TN; niece Michelle (Mark) Crump-Morden of Southfield, MI; nephew Kwame (Asso) Yankson of Charlotte, NC; special friend Laura Monschau of Manchester, Ml; as well as several other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Bob graduated from Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, PA, received a B.A. degree in Commercial Food Service Management from Penn State University (’67), and held a Master's in Hamburgerology from McDonald's Hamburger University.

He was very proud of his affiliation with top-rated firms in their fields: in sales for Bastian-Blessing Foodservice Equipment, as an independent owner/operator of two McDonald's Restaurants in Grand Rapids, MI, and in management with Ross and Associates Marketing, Inc. for 27 years, also in Grand Rapids. He was proud of his military service from 1967 through 1969 as a Captain in the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army.

He served his community by volunteering and serving on boards of directors for various local U.S. Junior Chambers, Urban Leagues, Ronald McDonald Houses, Boy Scouts of America, the Tri-Community Food Bank (AZ), and similar business and professional organizations.

Bob was fortunate to have lived in and enjoyed multiple cities (MI, PA, IL, NJ, FL, CA, VA, and AZ) where he was proud of always meeting new people and making new friends, including the “PSU Seven,” a group of friends who have met every five years to enjoy Penn State football and camping in the woods for the past six decades.

Bob and Theda resided in Okemos, MI, until their retirement to the Saddlebrooke community in Tucson, Arizona, in 2013. They then relocated to Williamsburg, VA, in 2020 to be near their family.

 A celebration of life service will be held at 10:00 a.m. January 17, 2026, at Whiting’s Funeral Home in Williamsburg, VA. At his request, please feel free to bring a "Bad Bob joke" to share!

A lunch and social gathering will follow nearby, at 12:00 p.m. Please RSVP to bobhross24@gmail.com for further information. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Bob’s memory to the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan or to a charity of your choice.

Professional services entrusted to the staff of Whiting's Funeral Home, 7005 Pocahontas Trail, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185. 757-229-3011 whitingsfuneralhome.com