Concetta "Connie" Ross

On November 27,2023 Concetta (Connie) Vettraino Ross entered eternal life. Born April 25, 1921 to Michael and Michela Vettraino, at Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Connie was the fifth of six children. She treasured her youthful years surrounded by a large family. She attended Vaughn Elementary School and Bloomfield Hills High School. Connie had various jobs on the grounds of Cranbrook as one of the crew. During World War II, Connie got a job at General Motors in the drafting department because they were so impressed with her perfect printing on the job application. After her time at GM she started working at Leonard's Electric in Birmingham where they had a corner of the store dedicated to vinyl records. When the owners sold the business they encouraged her to open her own record store as she had quite a loyal customer base. So, with a loan from her father, she opened The Record Corner in Birmingham. This is where she met the love of her life, Gerald 'Gerry' Ross, a sales rep for a record label. They dated for a few years, then Connie broke off the relationship because Gerald was a divorced man with a son and not of the same faith. Dad knew he could not let this one get away so he embraced the Catholic faith and proposed. They married August 28, 1954 in a garden ceremony at her family home at Cranbrook. They spent their wedding night in the house on Arlington and never moved. They welcomed two daughters, Bernadette in 1956 and Celeste in 1957. Connie gladly gave up her record store to be a full time mom and home maker. She was always inviting the neighbor kids for tea parties or to help make cookies. Over her lifetime she enjoyed volunteering her time and talents to the League of Women Voters, Ladies of Charity at OLQM, Michigan Opera Theater, Cranbrook Academy of Science, and Catholic Charities Retired Seniors volunteer program. Connie was a lifelong supporter of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Opera and was a Broadway in Detroit season ticket holder for over 40 years. Connie is survived by her sister, Rose Ricelli, children Bernadette Ross (Joseph Hernandez), Celeste (Allen) Lewis, Grant (Willermina) Ross, grandchildren Jill (Roy) Keto and Jason (Andrea) Ross and great-grandchildren Jacob and Hannah Ross. Countless nieces and nephews and people she adopted as her extra children. Her secrets to living a long life were to have a strong faith in God, choose happiness and always make new friends. She truly had a life well lived with no regrets, and as much as everyone loved her, she always said she loved You more.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Thursday, November 30, 11am at Gesu Catholic Church, 17180 Oak Drive, Detroit. Friends may visit at church beginning at 10am.
Please donate to the food pantry of your choice as mom would not want anyone to go hungry.