Dorothea Ross
January 5, 1933 - October 4, 2022
Boise, Idaho - Dorothea C. Ashby McKenna Ross passed away on Oct 4th 2022, three months before her 90th birthday. All five of her children were with her during her passing and the love she showered us with during our lives was reflected back to her as she left us. She was born on January 5th 1933 in Pocatello Idaho to Rudolph and Kathleen Ashby. She was the fourth of five children. Dorothea attended St. Joseph's Elementary school, Franklin Jr. High, and graduated from Pocatello High School in 1950. She graduated from Idaho State University in 1954 with a degree in Business/Education. She taught typing and shorthand at Pocatello and Mt. Home High School and at St. Theresa's Academy in Boise long before the advent of dictating machines, electric typewriters and computers. Except for a couple of years living in Santa Rosa CA, she was a lifelong resident of Idaho and lived in Boise since 1960. She married Francis J. McKenna in 1955. Five children were born of this marriage, Katie, Sean, Bill, Joe and Teri. They divorced after 34 years. In 1991 she married Carroll D. Ross. Carroll is a kind and loving man and they enjoyed a full life together. We five children wish to express our love and gratitude for Carroll. Mom was an avid downhill skier and after Carroll retired he learned to ski so they could enjoy the slopes together. They had great fun skiing at Bogus Basin and nearly 20 other resorts around the west. They spent 8 great winters skiing in McCall and met many good friends there. They spent their last 3 years skiing in Sun Valley and only hung up the skis because her eyesight deteriorated due to wet macular degeneration. They spent the next 3 winters in Arizona. They also enjoyed spending time on Lummi Island off the coast of Bellingham Bay in Puget Sound. Together, Mom and Carroll enjoyed bicycling, rollerblading, ice skating, cross country skiing, skate skiing, and traveling. Throughout her lifetime, Mom enjoyed sewing, quilting, ceramics, crafts, exercising, race walking, dancing, and playing bridge. Mom was an absolutely amazing cook and baker. There is no way to adequately thank her for the thousands of wonderful meals she prepared for us. One of her greatest joys was watching her children and grandchildren participate in their sports and other activities. She always took great pride and received such happiness from them. Mom often expressed how proud she was of what loving and giving people her children became. She felt she was blessed with the best offspring ever. We, her children, know that we were truly blessed to have had her as our mother.
Mom specifically requested we express her affection for all of her good friends at the Orchards neighborhood, Sue and all her good friends at line dancing where she remembered many hours of great fun, her Bogus Basin birthday ski group, the Bogus Prime Timers, her good friends at Welcome Club and all of her friends at Sojourners' and Welcome Club bridge. A special thank you to Dr. Kara Kuntz for her excellent care over the years. An extra special appreciation for Carey Arnold, Mom and Carroll's long time friend and also caregiver for the past year. Survivors include her husband Carroll D. Ross; daughter Katie Keller (Mike) of Boise, son Sean McKenna of Boise, son Bill McKenna of Tualatin OR, son Joe McKenna (Michelle) of Wenatchee WA, and daughter Teri McKenna (Steve) of Springfield OR; her granddaughters Katie Ann Clemens, Sara Slaughter (Ben), Carrie Tennison (Nick), Megan McNeese (Anthony), Taryn McKenna, Cara McKenna (Ali), Lindsay McKenna (Nadia), and Kasey Dixon (Luke); grandson Morgan Keller (Erin); great granddaughters Rebecca Tennison, Clara Tennison, Elanore Keller; great grandsons Landon Newell, Benny Slaughter, Henry Slaughter, Michael McNeese, Max Keller, Ford Dixon, and West Dixon. Preceding her in death were her parents, brothers Francis Buford Ashby and Clarence William Ashby, Sisters Mary Kaye Sherburne and Margie Frugoli, brothers in Law Larry Sherburne and Jack Frugoli.
A celebration of Dorothea's life will be held at the Orchards Clubhouse, 1530 N. McKinney Ln., Boise on Saturday October 15th at noon. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Dorothea's name to Camp Hodia, a summer camp for children with diabetes at: https://hodia.org/donate/ or mail to: Hodia - 5439 W. Kendall St., Boise, ID 83706

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Published by Idaho Statesman on Oct. 16, 2022.