Jack Gross

MORTON– Jack W. Gross, 91, of Morton, went to be with Christ his Savior surrounded by his family on Monday, May 1, 2023, at Apostolic Christian Restmor in Morton.  He was born on October 10, 1931, in Danville, PA, to Gerry and Alice (Cooner) Gross. Jack married Susan Shaub on December 18, 1955, in York, PA.  Surviving are his wife, Susan Gross of Morton; two daughters, Mary (Brian) Fischer of Morton and Laurie Kelly of Lone Tree, CO; granddaughter, Grace (Aiden) Hicks of Portsmouth, OH and one sister, Joanne Allen of Rehobeth, DE. Jack was preceded in death by two grandchildren, Joshua Fischer and Anna Fischer. Jack graduated from Delta High School, Delta, PA in 1949. He went on to graduate from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, PA in 1953, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He then attended one year of graduate school at Penn State and remained a life-long Penn State football fan. He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served during the Korean War and attained the rank of sergeant. Jack worked at Caterpillar Inc. for 36 years, retiring as division manager of accounting at the Mossville facility. He was a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors, where he served a term as president of the central Illinois chapter. He received multiple awards from the chapter, including a past president award and outstanding chapter member awards. During his time at Caterpillar he and his family were transferred to Grenoble, France, living there for three years. It was there that he developed a love of skiing. He skied many places over the years including France, Switzerland, Austria, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Banff, Canada. He was also a member of the Peoria Ski Club. Jack loved photography, taking several classes at ICC. He took photos for the Morton High School sports teams as well as the Metamora Girls’ Softball Team. His photos were used in the Courier newspapers along with articles he wrote about the games. One of his fondest memories was the opportunity he had to go to Cuba with the Metamora Girls' Softball Team. Jack was a member of Grace Church and later Cornerstone Baptist Church. He loved being involved in the activities of the churches he attended, serving as a trustee, singing in the choir, serving as usher and taking photos of the RHMA conferences at Grace Church. He loved the Lord and served Him faithfully until his passing. A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Burial of cremated remains will be at Hirstein Cemetery in Morton. Memorials may be made to Cornerstone Baptist Church in Morton. Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Morton is handling arrangements. To leave an online condolence for the family visit www.knappjohnson.com.