James M. Ross, Jr.

James Matthew Ross, Jr. (Jim), 95, of Columbus, Ohio, passed peacefully to be with Jesus on Friday, April 14, 2023, at Riverside Methodist Hospital after a brief illness. A devout Christian of the Church of God denomination, Jim lived his life according to his faith. He was a gentle and kind-hearted man, always ready with a cheerful word and a thoughtful deed for everyone he met. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle. He was a blessing to his family and to all who knew him.

Jim was born on November 22, 1927, in Louisville, Kentucky, the son of James M. Ross and Elsie Hazel Mae Vest. A veteran of World War II, he joined the United States Navy at the age of 17 under a special recruitment program for minors. As he would often say, he served three years, two months, and twenty-one days, much of that time aboard the destroyer USS Fiske (DD-842) patrolling in the Mediterranean Sea. While in the Navy, he met the love of his life, Eva Estelle Arnold, at a YMCA dance in Miami, Florida, and they married on January 31, 1947.

Before joining the Navy, Jim had already worked multiple jobs, including caddying at a local golf club, lifeguarding, and working as a fireman for a distillery. After leaving the Navy, he joined Louisville Gas & Electric as a lineman, and then he and Eva moved to Christiana, Tennessee, where they ran a grocery store for several years. In 1954, he joined the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as a generating plant operator, and he worked for TVA until retiring in 1988, operating various steam plants in the TVA system including Watts Bar, Kingston, Gallatin, Shawnee, and Bull Run. He was recruited by TVA in 1964 to relocate to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to train for operating an experimental nuclear plant, called the Experimental Gas Cooled Reactor (EGCR). He remained in Oak Ridge until 2021, when he moved into Brookdale Trillium independent living community in Columbus, Ohio.

Jim was preceded in death by his wife, Eva (2011), and three brothers, Dave (1982), Alvin (2012), and Don (2013). He is survived by his children, Pat Selby (Paul) of Upper Arlington, Ohio, and Jim Ross (Marisela) of Hollywood, Florida; four grandchildren, Kari Watts (Steve) of Upper Arlington, Ohio, Kristi Briscoe (Brian) of Crestwood, Kentucky, Jamie Ross of Branchburg, New Jersey, and Taryn Ross of Flemington, New Jersey; six great-grandchildren, Kiersten, Koby, Kaitlyn, and Kylan Watts, and Ethan and Hudson Briscoe; his sister, Debbie Trowbridge (Larry) of Louisville, Kentucky; and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful nurturing community at Brookdale Trillium Crossing in Columbus, Ohio, where Jim happily spent his last years enjoying the company of friends, playing his harmonica, singing, and thoroughly loving life in his apartment. They also wish to acknowledge the loving care of Dr. Robert Toscano and the staff and nurses in the ICU at Riverside Methodist Hospital.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 6, 2023, at Hoover's Gap Church in Christiana, Tennessee, followed by a graveside service at Chadwick Cemetery. A reception and refreshments will follow in the fellowship hall of Hoover's Gap Church. The family welcomes contributions in Jim’s honor to the Wounded Warrior Project or to Samaritan’s Purse.