Dennis K. Ross Obituary (1958 - 2020)

It is with great sadness that our family reports the death of our beloved Denny Ross of Heyworth, the early evening of February 22, 2020 at the age of 61 in Chicago after being hospitalized for an acute but lengthy illness related to multiple organ failure. He passed peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born Dennis Kelly Ross to Patricia Cooper Ross and Jackie Gene Ross in Decatur, IL on May 19, 1958. He married Lisa Critcheloe on August 6, 1983 in Rochester, IL. Denny graduated from Rochester High School in 1977 and from Illinois State University in 1985. He worked as a nursing home administrator for 10 years prior to starting his own chimney cleaning and window washing business. Operating his business allowed him to spend a great deal of quality time with his two children, Jack and Savannah, who were the absolute joy of his life. In September of 2009, Denny was involved a motor vehicle accident resulting in a spinal cord injury which caused permanent paralysis. Having almost lost him then, our family is eternally grateful to God, and to Denny's fighting spirit, for the additional 10 years that we were able to spend with him. In those ten years, Denny did a whole lot of living; saw many milestones accomplished by his children; was blessed to became a grandfather; and he added ten more years of joy, humor, laughter and wisdom to his family and friends lives as well as the lives of new friends he made as he traversed his healthcare needs. His faith in God was forever strengthened through experiences he had following his traumatic accident. He is survived by his wife, Lisa, of Heyworth; his two children, Jack Eli Ross and Savannah Camela Ross, both of Bloomington/Normal, IL; his granddaughter, McKinnley Ross; his brother, Jack Cooper Ross (Valerie McIntyre Ross) of Springfield, IL; sister, Lucinda (Steve) Button of Rochester, IL; sister-in-law Camela "Cami" Critcheloe White and brother-in-law Rodney White of Thornton, Colorado; and nine nieces. He was preceded in death by his mother and father. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in his name to the Huntington's Disease Society of America Illinois Chapter (www.Illinois.hdsa.org). A celebration of his life will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington, where visitation will be from noon to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be served following the service and all are invited.