Dr. Landon Timmonds Ross Jr.

1942 - 2016

Dr. Landon Timmonds Ross, Jr.

Dr. Landon Timmonds Ross, Jr. was born in Philadelphia, October 19, 1942, the son of Landon Timmonds Ross and Doris Maxine Clark Ross. His grandparents were Shane Ross and Reba Stratton Timmonds Ross, and James G. Blaine Clark and Beatrice Rema Buchanan Clark. He died February 7, 2016. A celebration of Landon's life will be held on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at 11:00 am at Bevis Funeral Home, 2710 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee. Family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 10:00 am.

Landon spent little time in his birth state, moving first to Kansas for a few years, and then to Siesta Key, in southwest Florida. He developed a great love for nature during his formative years, and was fascinated by virtually all kinds of living things, fossils, and minerals. From the age of five he believed that he was to become a paleontologist. Ten years of college left Landon with a Master's degree in that field from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. from Florida State University in biology.

His career was spent as an environmental biologist, with various Florida agencies: Department of Pollution Control, Dept. of Environmental Regulation, Dept. of Environmental Protection. He served as Chief Biologist for the first two agencies and as head of the Central Biology Laboratory for the third. He was particularly proud of developing and implementing the nation's first numerical water quality standards for toxicity in discharges as measured using standardized tests, and for changes to the community of bottom-dwelling organisms using specific statistical values. Beyond the field of environmental biology, Landon also wrote technical papers dealing with such varied organisms as land snails and ferns.

Landon had diverse interests beyond his professional ones. He played the viola throughout secondary school, became moderately proficient on the recorder in later years, and enjoyed many forms of music. His interest in motorcycles was long-lasting, and he was a moderately skillful motorcycle mechanic. Landon's knowledge of coins, especially foreign coins, was extensive, and he was a recognized authority on the coins of Annam (ancient Viet Nam) and of the western Chinese province now called Xinjiang. Landon dearly loved words and languages, although he frequently complained of a lack of linguistic skill. He read dictionaries during his entire life. In fact, he read extensively, both literary and technical works. He travelled widely. His interest in computers and computing was considerable, and he wrote and maintained several web sites, including one devoted to his high school graduating class. In later years, he became the family historian and developed proficiency in the genealogist's trade, eventually writing a family history.

His greatest love was for his family. Landon did not become a father until rather late in his life, and his youngest child was born only a few months before Landon's retirement, but he found great joy in this aspect of life. He leaves his wife, Nancy Stone Ross; a daughter, Brynna Jeanette Ross and son-in-law Eric Abrahamsen; a son, Timmonds Gordon Ross; two step-daughters, Clese Elaine Erikson and Mary Ellen Turner; a step-son, Michael Edward Turner; three grandchildren, Landon Ross Abrahamsen, Alexandra Lea Abrahamsen, and Ashley Dalton Abrahamsen; a brother-in-law, Shelby Vick; and two nieces, Cheryl Vick Good and Diane Vick Prather. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister, Suzanne Ross Vick.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Alzheimer's Project, Inc., 301 E. Tharpe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303, or Birdsong Nature Center, 2106 Meridian Road, Thomasville, GA 31792. Todd Wahlquist with Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. 850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com.