Tri-City Cremation Services - Kitchener 519-772-1237 Cambridge 519-267-7199
  • Home
  • About
  • Cremations
  • Burial
  • Preplanning
  • Grief Resources
  • Obituaries
  • Contact
    • COVID-19 MESSAGE

​

Ross Cole

9/30/2018

1 Comment

 
Picture
 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.
1 Comment
Jack and Sandy Addison
10/15/2018 08:09:36 pm

To Gina, Deb and family.... We feel very honoured to have known Ross and greatly enjoyed his resourcefulness and kind gentle manner and generosity sharing his vast knowledge and research helping us in the village of Port Ryerse piece together the beginnings of the Brown family and their contributions to the community in those early years.
I personally enjoyed the time spent traveling and meeting with Ross and Gina and family, working together for several events, Ross's company will be missed.
Our condolences at this difficult time.
Jack and Sandy Addison

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Past Obituaries

    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Contact Us

Submit
Immediate Need
If you have an immediate need for a loved one, please call us now. ​
​We have a licensed staff member on call 24 hours a day to assist you at this difficult time.
​
​​Kitchener Office:
1601 River Road East, Unit 28A,  Kitchener, ON   N2A 3Y4
519-772-1237  kitchener@tricitycremations.com
Cambridge Office:
383 Elgin Street North, Unit 10,  Cambridge, ON   N1R 8C1
​
519-267-7199  cambridge@tricitycremations.com

Consumer 
Protection Ontario
Picture
Funeral Service Association
of Canada
Picture
Ontario Funeral Service
Association
Picture
​​Licensed by
​Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Picture
​© 2020 Tri-City Cremation Services.  All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About
  • Cremations
  • Burial
  • Preplanning
  • Grief Resources
  • Obituaries
  • Contact
    • COVID-19 MESSAGE