In his younger days Ross loved the outdoors and was right at home roughing it in the woods, under a lean-to or the log cabin he built on the property that he owned with Gina, in Durham, Ontario that they fondly named "Seventh Heaven". He was a knowledgeable and skilled handyman, who loved to build and fix things, a true "MacGyver" often modifying things, so they were more efficient. With a natural aptitude for electronics and carpentry, he did all his own home repairs and renovations and liked to help out family and friends with theirs.
Ross was a very talented craftsman with many hobbies and interests, wood working, carving, leather work, building large scale models (many matchstick), just to name a few and he was involved with different organizations over the years. He loved spending as much time as possible with his grandson Jordan, taking him places and teaching him many valuable lessons about life and Jordan is forever grateful for all the things he learned and the great memories he has of spending so much time with his grandpa over the years of his youth and he often said he was more like a dad to him. Ross was fortunate enough, later in life to have 2 great grandsons, Darien and Anthony. Once again, he loved to spend as much time as possible with them, teaching and sharing the same wisdom he shared with Jordan and they have many great memories of these times.
Ross was both a wonderful husband and father, he had a natural protective instinct always making sure we were well looked after and safe. He was resilient, tenacious and held true to his convictions of fairness and equality. It was these qualities that enabled him to be innovative and revise his lifestyle and hobbies, when he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis a few years after he retired and he learned to adapt like the true survivor he was.
Shortly before his retirement, Gina inherited a box of old photos of unknown family members and this sparked Ross' curiosity to find out who they were and that's when he became interested in ancestry and genealogy. Ross researched both his and Gina's lineage, but it was Gina's side of the family that he found most intriguing and so began his ardent research that spanned over a decade and took them across Canada and the US piecing together the Brown family tree and giving identities to the unknown ancestors and their descendants. He found many unmarked graves through dowsing and was instrumental in having a memorial erected in Port Ryerse to recognize the Brown family settlement to the area in the 1850s their contributions. Through his tireless research he united and reunited many family members and gave us all a sense of pride and identity that was previously elusive due to the slave trade in North America and the all too often omission of Canadian Black History from the records and we are eternally grateful. He was well respected and recognized for his great achievements and huge contributions to Black history and ancestry in Canada and the lives of those involved and will be greatly missed and strongly remembered.
Unfortunately, Ross was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroendocrine cancer in early August and fought a short, but courageous battle and even though he was terminally ill he showed grace no matter how sick he became. He was a man of true integrity and honour and will live on in so many people's hearts and memories.
Donations in his memory can be made to Innisfree House and the Arthritis Society. Messages and condolences can be made via tricitycremations.com
Please visit Ross' obituary notice on Facebook.
Ross was a very talented craftsman with many hobbies and interests, wood working, carving, leather work, building large scale models (many matchstick), just to name a few and he was involved with different organizations over the years. He loved spending as much time as possible with his grandson Jordan, taking him places and teaching him many valuable lessons about life and Jordan is forever grateful for all the things he learned and the great memories he has of spending so much time with his grandpa over the years of his youth and he often said he was more like a dad to him. Ross was fortunate enough, later in life to have 2 great grandsons, Darien and Anthony. Once again, he loved to spend as much time as possible with them, teaching and sharing the same wisdom he shared with Jordan and they have many great memories of these times.
Ross was both a wonderful husband and father, he had a natural protective instinct always making sure we were well looked after and safe. He was resilient, tenacious and held true to his convictions of fairness and equality. It was these qualities that enabled him to be innovative and revise his lifestyle and hobbies, when he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis a few years after he retired and he learned to adapt like the true survivor he was.
Shortly before his retirement, Gina inherited a box of old photos of unknown family members and this sparked Ross' curiosity to find out who they were and that's when he became interested in ancestry and genealogy. Ross researched both his and Gina's lineage, but it was Gina's side of the family that he found most intriguing and so began his ardent research that spanned over a decade and took them across Canada and the US piecing together the Brown family tree and giving identities to the unknown ancestors and their descendants. He found many unmarked graves through dowsing and was instrumental in having a memorial erected in Port Ryerse to recognize the Brown family settlement to the area in the 1850s their contributions. Through his tireless research he united and reunited many family members and gave us all a sense of pride and identity that was previously elusive due to the slave trade in North America and the all too often omission of Canadian Black History from the records and we are eternally grateful. He was well respected and recognized for his great achievements and huge contributions to Black history and ancestry in Canada and the lives of those involved and will be greatly missed and strongly remembered.
Unfortunately, Ross was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroendocrine cancer in early August and fought a short, but courageous battle and even though he was terminally ill he showed grace no matter how sick he became. He was a man of true integrity and honour and will live on in so many people's hearts and memories.
Donations in his memory can be made to Innisfree House and the Arthritis Society. Messages and condolences can be made via tricitycremations.com
Please visit Ross' obituary notice on Facebook.
