Darryl Ross

1953 - 2022

Darryl Douglas Ross December 23rd 1953 January 17th 2022 Darryl passed away peacefully at home on January 17th 2022, with his son James by his side. Darryl was the eldest of the five children of Marlow & Elizabeth Ross. Born on December 23rd, 1953 in Assiniboia, SK, he attended school first in Assiniboia and then Luther College in Regina (Grade 11 and 12). Darryl attended the University of Lethbridge from 1971-1975, he was president of the Students' Union in 1974/75, deeply committed to representing the best interest of his peers. In 1975, Darryl left university to pursue work in Alberta's burgeoning oil and gas industry working on drilling rigs throughout southern and central Alberta, and later, offshore operations in the McKenzie Delta, and Beaufort Sea. In 1977, he trained as a commercial diver in Long Beach Harbour, Los Angeles; upon completion, he returned to the Canadian Arctic with Can-Dive Construction, based in Vancouver, BC to work as a commercial diver in the Beaufort Sea oil fields. He met his future wife, Christine Pendlebury, in Vancouver in 1978, shortly after finishing a shift at sea. It was love at first sight and the pair soon planned to move to Scotland together. Upon relocating to Scotland, Darryl would continue to work as a commercial diver in deep sea oil operations in the North Sea with Oceaneering International, based out of Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1980 Darryl & Christine moved to Marbella, Spain, and lived in a studio apartment on the beach, while Darryl continued to commute to the North Sea working shifts of 24 days on/24 days off. In 1982 they moved to Buckingham, England where they stayed with friends before buying a house. Here Darryl obtained his law degree at the University of Buckingham. Darryl & Christine married in 1983, Kathryn was born in 1984 and James in 1986. The wanderlust persisted a few years more, as they rented the house out and lived in Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth in 1984 and relocated to William Goodenough House in London in 1986 while Darryl studied for his bar exam. He took a pupillage at 10 Kings Bench Walk and joined the Middle Temple Inns of Court as a barrister. Now a family of four, they returned to Buckingham in 1987 and remained there until 1991, when they moved to Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, Canada. Christine and Kathryn returned to England in 1997 and Darryl and James remained in Assiniboia. Darryl was the director of Ron-Mar Holdings Ltd from 1999 until his passing. Darryl was an avid reader, a wonderful cook, enjoyed the fine arts and the great outdoors. A true Renaissance man who could converse knowledgeably on a remarkable range of topics. Darryl loved nothing more than deep, thought-provoking conversation, or spirited debate shared with friends and family (even better if accompanied by the flames of an open fire). His greatest pleasure in life was his family. He loved and was so proud of his children and their accomplishments. Kathryn gained her PhD in 2013 and now does research and teaching in applied ecology and environmental management at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology in Rotorua, New Zealand. James has worked for the past 10 years as a land survey technician in Regina and is now working towards the completion of an Engineering degree at University of Regina. Darryl was overjoyed to have become a grandfather twice in 2019, to two boys, born three weeks apart at opposite ends of the world. The precious moments Darryl spent with these boys, either in person or video calls, are treasured. He was predeceased by his father, Marlow (January 8, 1999). Darryl will be missed by his mother Elizabeth Ross; siblings Janet Harding (Hugh), Liz-Ann Payant (Dan), Robert Ross (Rhonda McLean), Patricia Hamilton (Bob); 15 nieces and nephews and 37 great-nieces and nephews; his children Kathryn Ross (Chris Moody) and James Ross (Kyla), his grandsons Jake and Gavin and his wife (separated) Christine Pendlebury. He will be remembered as a loyal and steadfast friend by all who knew him well. A celebration of Darryl's life will be held when the situation allows family and friends to congregate in a safe and compliant manner. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.rossfuneralservice.com for the Ross family. Arrangements entrusted to Ross Funeral Service, Assiniboia, SK.