Dennis Marshall Ross, a Hermiston resident of 72 years, died on Oct. 12, 2024 at Providence St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. He was 88 years old.
Dennis was an only child, born on April 12, 1936 in Homer, Neb. to Marshall Morris Ross (1903-1990) and Emma Newburn Ross (1910-1990). The first three years of his life were spent on a family farm in Winnebago, Neb., which was challenging for the family with the drought and the Great Depression. His parents gave up farming in 1939 and headed west, which was the first of many moves he and his family would make during his childhood.
Dennis spent two years on the Arkansas River in Colorado, where his father worked on the John Martin Dam before moving to Provo, Utah. In 1942 after World War II broke out, the family left and moved to Vancouver, Wash. where his father worked in the shipyards. After the war, the family moved to Huntington, where Dennis developed a love for fishing on the Burnt and Snake rivers while earning money delivering the local paper. In 1948 the family moved to Drain, where his father worked on the Dorena Dam from 1948 to 1952. At that time Dennis joined the local Boy Scouts, which put him on track to earning Eagle Scout rank when they moved to Hermiston in 1952.
In his senior year at Hermiston High School, Dennis met and dated his lifelong soul mate, Marilyn Fowler. In the fall Dennis left for Moscow, Idaho to attend the University of Idaho, where he became a member of the Alpha Tao Omega (ATO) fraternity and eventually graduated in chemical engineering. Dennis and Marilyn continued their relationship during his college years and eventually married on Aug. 1, 1958 at the First Methodist Church in Hermiston.
After graduating in June 1959, Dennis started his 44-year career at the newly built Boise Cascade Pulp and Paper Mill located at Wallula, Wash. A majority of his career was as an environmental manager. Dennis received numerous awards from the company, the state of Washington and governmental agencies for his work in protecting the environment. In 1963 the family moved into their home on Baxter Road, where he and Marilyn raised three children – Mike, David, and Kathleen.
Dennis and Marilyn accepted Christ in 1977 and spent their lives relying on and building their relationship with God while supporting many ministries and churches.
In 2012, Dennis lost his soul mate and spent the following 10 years in his home before transitioning to independent and then assisted living care in Walla Walla, Wash., where he passed away after two years.
The Lord was good to Dennis in those years and went before him on his journey as he struggled to go it alone. He was incredibly grateful and thankful to the friends and neighbors that supported him, loved him, and were present and available when a need arose.
Dennis is survived by his son, Mike Ross of Meridian, Idaho; son, David Ross (Lisa Ross) of Hillsboro; and daughter, Kathleen (Cassie) Wagner (John Wagner) of Pendleton; eight grandchildren, Alexa and Ian Ross (Mike), Ashton and AJ Ross (Dave), and Ethan, Amanda, Savannah and Spencer Pace (Cassie); and four great-grandchildren, Rowan and Joel (Ashton), Lacey (Ethan) and Indie (Amanda).
Dennis was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn in 2012; and his father, Marshall and mother, Emma, both in 1990.
A private ceremony will be held at the grave site for the immediate family.
The family requests that donations be directed to Open Doors Ministries of California or the Calvary Harvest Fellowship of Hermiston.
Please enter a tribute or condolence at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Arrangements are under the direction of Burns Mortuary of Hermiston.
