Bruce Lionel Ross

Bruce Lionel Ross died on March 15th in his beloved Taos with his two children by his side. He was born on October 27, 1947, in Evanston, Illinois, to pharmacists Louis J. Ross and Shirlee M. (Thikoll) Ross. He grew up with his sister, Bonnie Schoenberg, six years his elder, and their childhood was profoundly shaped by the loss of their mother when Bruce was nine.

At 17, during his senior year of high school, Bruce married Sheryl (Libman) Schiff. They promptly welcomed a daughter, followed by a son three years later. During these early years he worked a variety of jobs to support his young family while attending night school at Northwestern to study business. Although Bruce and Sheryl divorced when he was 24, they remained the closest of friends for the rest of his life.

After the divorce, Bruce moved to the Lincoln Park neighborhood and had his children with him every weekend. He loved finding culturally eclectic and interesting things to teach them and experience together. He was a natural father, kind, loving, present, and deeply engaged. He coached his son’s Little League team and shared his passions for Chicago, architecture, photography, cooking, reading, and music. A trip to Crate & Barrel to explore kitchen gadgets was a favorite ritual.

In the 1970s, Bruce entered property development. He had a strong sense of design and a confident, distinctive aesthetic that shaped every home and project he touched. The bathroom in his three flat, featuring glass walls, a skylight, and live plants, was recognized in Better Homes & Gardens magazine.

In 1978, Feeny Lipscomb arrived in Chicago looking for an apartment. This was the beginning of a year personal and professional partnership. At Feeny’s urging, they met with an astrologer who “saw them in business together in the Southwest,” which seemed far fetched to them. However, soon after, they were approached with an opportunity to restore a historic hotel, the Taos Inn, in Taos, New Mexico. Believing it was meant to be, they moved to Taos in 1980 and went to work.

Bruce applied his experience as a designer and general contractor to return the Inn to its original beauty and integrity, earning recognition from the National Register of Historic Places. He also immersed himself in the service industry, learning every aspect of operations so he could effectively oversee the restaurant, bar, front desk, housekeeping, maintenance, and business administration. Under his stewardship, the Inn became a vibrant community hub, affectionately known as “The Living Room of Taos”, throughout the 1980s.

Bruce reinvented himself professionally many times. He was managing partner in several businesses, became a small business consultant who helped numerous Taos enterprises get off the ground, and worked as a certified mediator. He served on several local boards. In his final years, he worked for the New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, evaluating business plans for people with disabilities.

Outside of work, Bruce was one of the earliest members of the Taos Spa, rocking up in his Saab at least five days a week. Always working out, he could often be seen skiing, running or biking around town. He was a lover of jazz, occasionally picking up the sax himself, a voracious reader, socially and politically interested, and deeply introspective. He worked continually to understand himself but also had a lighter side and a good sense of humor that shone through even during difficult moments.

Since childhood, friendships have been central to his life. Bruce Grossman and Ted Dimond became fast, close, lifelong friends and founded one of the first men’s support groups in Taos—a group Bruce attended until the day he died. The Bruces,together with Ron Kalom created the Taos Minyan in 1993, which met every Shabbat morning for more than a decade. The Minyan became one of the three founding groups of the Taos Jewish Center. Bruce also helped build the wall that consecrated the Eretz Shalom Cemetery.

Through all his endeavors, Bruce prided himself on “taking care of business,” but he was far more than his accomplishments. He was gentle, kindhearted, and honest, genuinely interested in others. He learned your name, looked you in the eye, and asked questions that made you feel seen. He was passionate about Taos, its people, and its prosperity.

Bruce’s final years brought challenges. He fought depression and tried to maintain his work and his connections, rarely asking for help and never wanting to burden others, even to his own detriment. In those years he clung to familiar routines with increasing rigidity, a quiet sign of how hard he was working to hold on to himself.

Throughout his life he maintained a deep, intimate relationship with his children and had great love and appreciation for his son and daughter-in-law.

Bruce is survived by his sister, Bonnie (Ross) Schoenberg (Michael); his daughter, Stephanie (Erin) Ross (Eric McHargue); his son, Jordan Ross (Erin Glynn); and his former wife and oldest friend, Sheryl (Libman) Schiff.

A burial will be held on Friday March 20th at 11:00 AM at the Eretz Shalom Cemetery. A memorial for Bruce will be determined at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The Community Against Violence or a charity meaningful to you or to one that reflects Bruce’s values and love for Taos.

The Bruce Lionel Ross has granted Rivera Family Funeral Home the honor of serving them.