Curlee Ross

May 21, 1929 - March 12, 2026 Dr. Curlee Ross was born on May 21, 1929, on a farm in Hico, Louisiana. He was the fourth of eleven children born to Early and Doris Ross. Before completing his high school education, he left home at the age of fifteen to live with an aunt in Texarkana, Arkansas. Two years later, he joined the United States Army and later passed the "state exam," which was equivalent to a high school education. Joining the armed forces, he said, was the best decision he ever made in his life.
After leaving the army in 1949, he attended the University of Southern California (USC) and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. While in college, he met Zoe Louise Wise, who was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles, and they married in 1955. They went on to have three children: Carolyn Louise, Lisa Anne, and David Michael.
In June of 1957, he matriculated at the USC School of Medicine, where he was the second Black student to study for and earn a medical degree. He interned at the then Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles and rejoined the Army in 1958 to fulfill his G.I. Bill obligations. He was stationed in Monterey, California, at Fort Ord, where his two younger children were born.
He completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at Kern County General Hospital in Bakersfield, California. The family moved into the View Park community of Los Angeles, where Dr. Ross started a private medical practice that would span over half a century. He eventually took on a position as Medical Director of the California State Prison system in Avenal, California, and had clinical duties at the Watts Health Foundation. He finally retired in 2018.
Always the scholar, Curlee Ross studied many foreign languages, including Spanish, French, and Russian. While maintaining his medical practice, he earned a law degree from the West Los Angeles School of Law and was admitted to the California State Bar in 1981. He was awarded the distinguished title of Professor Emeritus at the USC Keck School of Medicine.
His earlier involvement with the local Toastmasters Club reflected his interest in public speaking, and occasional ballroom dancing kept him in shape. His memberships included the Charles R. Drew Medical Society, the National Medical Association, and the 100 Black Men of Los Angeles, where at their 30th anniversary celebration, he was honored as one of their pivotal forces within the chapter. A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. since 1952, he became a member of the Beta Psi Lambda Chapter, Los Angeles. His fraternity brothers often visited him at his assisted living facility in West Hollywood.
He had two subsequent marriages to Mary Doris Rose and then Dorothy Hardy, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his daughter Lisa A. Ross, MD, MBA, FASA, of New York City, son David M. Ross, MD, of Las Vegas, granddaughter Devon Washington, PhD, of New York City, two siblings, two step-sons and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Carolyn L. Ross, of Los Angeles. A private memorial service will be held in June.