Russell K. Gross, 81, of Putnam Pike in Glocester, passed Monday, September 30th, 2019, peacefully in the Overlook Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Pascoag.
Born in Woonsocket, a son of the late Kenneth and Emily (Benn) Gross, he had lived in Chepachet for 81 years. His wife of 57 years, Jessie M. Gross, and his son, Russell G. Gross, of Chepachet, survive him. His sister Elaine R. Passano predeceased Russell.
Along with his father, Russell co-owned and operated a fleet of school buses for the Town of Glocester and was a Truck Driver with several local companies from the late 1950s until retiring with Steere Excavation in 2003. He was a member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Locals 526, and 493. He had served as a member of the Rhode Island National Guard, the Harmony Fire District Board, the Glocester Planning Board, the Glocester Personnel Board, the Glocester Safety Commission, and as a Trustee of the Glocester Land Trust.
Among his many passions, he enjoyed seasonal snowmobiling and ATV trips to the grandeur of northern Maine, where he had many dear friends. He was a versatile carpenter and woodworker. He felt privileged to serve his community by dedicating countless volunteer hours to the town that he so loved. In his free time, he enjoyed watching and caring for the local wildlife.
His funeral and burial was private. In lieu of flowers donations in his memory may be made to South County Hospital Cancer Center, 100 Kenyon Avenue, Wakefield, RI 02879.