Steven Robert Ross

Steven Robert Ross, loving husband, brother, father, grandfather, and uncle, passed away at his home surrounded by family on October 27, 2022, at the age of 71.
Steve was born on January 26, 1951 to Robert and Rose Ross, and raised in the Wilson Point neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland with his siblings, Charles and Mary. He attended Kenwood High School, Essex Community College and the University of Maryland College Park, and studied the emerging field of computer programming. He built a career as a systems analyst and database developer and became an expert in early computer programming languages. Over the course of his career he architected systems for clients all over the state, including Legg Mason and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, until retiring from General Dynamics in 2020. Steve was an artist, woodworker, fisherman, pool shark and card shark - and a formidable opponent in a game of poker or hearts. He was a gruff teddy bear, and one of the most wickedly smart and endearingly stubborn people the world has ever known.
Steve met Patricia (Patti) Goeller in the early 1970s and they dated for nearly a decade before marrying in 1980. They had two children, Lauren (DeWerd) and Bobby. Steve unexpectedly lost Patti, the love of his life, in 1997. He dedicated the rest of his life to raising and providing for Lauren and Bobby, instilling in them the importance of education, financial stability, and above all, personal integrity. He became a Pop-Pop in 2017, and adored his grandchildren Goeller (5) and Josephine (1). His greatest source of joy came from spending time with his family, most often over a shared meal. He was known for making an elaborate batch of deviled eggs (three different recipes), and assembling the most elaborate Christmas stockings (stuffed until overflowing with practical essentials). Steve loved his son-in-law, Ryan DeWerd, and daughter-in-law, Anna Jennings, like his own children. As his health declined this year, he fought hard to attend the wedding of Bobby and Anna on October 1, 2022, and he defied all odds to accomplish this goal. He died at peace knowing his children and grandchildren are well loved.
Friends may greet the family from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2022, immediately followed by a memorial service at 6:30 p.m., at Connelly Funeral Home Of Essex (300 Mace Avenue, Essex, MD).
Steve bravely fought both leukemia and liver cancer with the excellent support and world-class expertise of Johns Hopkins Hospital. The family would like to express their sincere and profound gratitude for the dignified and attentive care received from the team at Hopkins as well as Gilchrist Hospice Care. Memorial donations in honor of Steven Ross are preferred to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, American Cancer Society, or American Heart Association.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Steven Robert Ross, please visit our floral store.