Ramona Calloway Gross

Ramona Calloway Gross was born in Iaeger, West Virginia to Jemima Powell and Raymond Calloway. Unfortunately, when Ramona was only three years old her mother passed away and Raymond Calloway’s sister Clara Leola Leach (Kate) raised Ramona along with Irene Greenleaf Pratt and Ella Mae Cureton. After graduating from Kimball High School, Ramona ventured off to Storer College where she met and married Kenneth Cundiff. Ramona and Kenneth bore a son, Larry Cundiff in 1949. After living in Kenneth’s hometown Boonville for a couple of years, Kenneth, Ramona and Larry moved to Washington, DC and subsequently Ramona and Kenneth divorced. In 1956, Ramona married Willis Calloway, but the marriage was very short-lived as he died in 1957.

Ramona was a devoted and lifelong Christian and a faithful servant of the Lord. She attended Parker Memorial Baptist Church for over forty years. This is where she met her future husband, Albert Gross. In 1975, Ramona married Albert. She was married to Albert for thirty years until his death in 2005.

Ramona’s work career entailed working for the Veterans Administration, the District of Columbia Alcohol Clinic and Howard University Department of Medicine, where she became the lead medical secretary to the Dean of Medicine. She also worked part time for the United States Post Office.

Her life was full of love: love for God, family and friends. She loved Life and was a “people” person. She was always helping family and friends. She enjoyed socializing (gatherings with family and friends), volunteering. going camping and vacationing at beach resorts. She enjoyed the events held by the residents of her city, Takoma Park such as the Fourth of July parade and the Colby Avenue block party.

As required by the American Red Cross, Ramona was certified annually as a blood press measurement specialist. This allowed her to take blood pressures of residents at Franklin House Apartments in Silver Spring, MD. Ramona also took blood pressures at other apartment buildings as well as congregants at Parker Memoria Baptist Church. She was also president of the Nurses Unit at Parker Memorial.

Ramona annually attended both her high school (Kimball) and college (Storer) reunions. She held the position of Treasurer for the Storer College National Alumni Association, and she was president of the Storer College Hospitality Committee. The Kimball High School reunions were hosted by the various chapters, so she enjoyed traveling to the various locations (Boston, Cleveland, Columbus, and Atlanta) to name a few.

She is survived and deeply loved by her son Larry Cundiff (Rhonda), granddaughter Shannon Enoch (Brandon), great-grandchildren (Yahshaiyah, Frances, Adelaide, and Brandon, and a host of loved ones. She is also survived by her loving cousins Patricia Hairston and Dawn Valentine.