John Ross Moncrieff

It is with immense sadness that I share with you today that our beloved friend Ross Moncrieff passed away in his sleep early yesterday morning.

Ross has been a member of our community for the past 10 years, initially joining our community through our Day Program and later coming to live at Holton House. When we welcomed Ross to join our L’Arche Community, we welcomed so many more with him – Ross introduced us to his wonderful family, his network of friends and supporters, his connections in the art community – and yet despite his many connections, he was very clear that we too were his family now, not just with words, but with actions. Ross welcomed new people into the community with open arms and giant paintings, and he grieved just as thoroughly when people left community, at times even refusing to let them leave – his way of letting people know how special they were to him.

There are so many things we can share about Ross: he was a dreamer and visionary, he was wildly creative and often surprised us with his sources of inspiration, he had a great sense of humor, sharing terrible puns as well as silly expressions, costumes and dances. As silly as he was, he was equally dignified, often insisting on wearing suits, and he was proud of his many achievements. He took his responsibilities very seriously, whether that was as an Assistant Art Instructor, Alter Server, reader at our Community Gatherings, Greeter at events, and even in his daily chores at Holton House. Ross was a great friend and he knew how to make people feel loved. One of Ross’ favorite ways of caring for people was through food – he loved to make or bring treats to others and was always excited about a trip to Tim Hortons. He also ensured he created art pieces to mark various occasions – birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations, and would sometimes spend days working on paintings to give to people. He hugged people often, and when they were grumpy, he tickled them. He remembered details about people’s lives and made a point to ask about them. Although when he first came to L’Arche, he hated our tradition of “passing the candle” to share compliments and gifts about people, he later came to embrace it and would share such thoughtful messages, and eventually, came to welcome hearing them as well. This was never as evident as on his 50th birthday this past September, where he stood proudly on his porch, with a large banner out front and cupcakes in hand, happily greeting those who came to wish him well and graciously inviting each person to share some words.

Ross’ sudden and unexpected departure has left a big hole in our hearts.

Please keep our community in your prayers at this time, especially Ross’ family and his housemates and friends at Holton House.

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Service Details

Ross Moncrieff - Celebration of Life

Time:

Jan 13, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time

(US and Canada)

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