Ross William Brown

Mr. Ross William Brown, died at his home on February 13th at the age of 100 years with his family at his side. Ross was born on September 24, 1924, to Robert Erwin and Susan (Rudell) Brown, and grew up in Merritt Township near Munger during the Great Depression. He was the sixth of seven children, and his mother died when he was six years old. Ross dropped out of school to work on the farm until he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He was in the infantry in Company E, 3rd Division, and served in France and Germany during World War II. Ross was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and was honorably discharged in 1949.

He then enlisted in the Army Reserves, was promoted to 1st Lieutenant, and was called up from the Reserves to serve in the Korean War in the 428th Engr. Ross was injured in combat and was honorably discharged in 1952. He graduated from Bay City Junior College while working at Dow Magnesium Plant in Bay City. In 1953, Ross started an insurance agency selling State Farm Insurance on Columbus Avenue, where he worked for 37 years. Prior to his retirement, Ross won national awards for top sales and was well known throughout the area for excellent and personal customer service.

Ross married Virgial (Virg) Mae Fagerlie in 1946 at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey, and together they raised seven children - Dianne Grabke (deceased), Nancy (Alex) Hiller of Lake Orion, Dorothy McAllen of Bay City, Kathleen Packowski of Troy, Karen Brown-Fackler (Dave Crook) of Bay City, Ross Wayne Brown of Bay City, and Marilyn Hoerauf of Grand Blanc. Virg pre-deceased him in January, 1990, and in July 1991, he married Cecelia (Cindy) Irish. Ross welcomed her children into his family - Rose McGee of Indianapolis, Art (Dione) Irish of Bay City, and Phillip (Tiffany Chan) Irish of Bay City. Cindy pre-deceased him in 2004. Ross's fiancée Dolores (Dolly) Honsinger predeceased him in 2024. Her daughter Terri Pelton, and family survive him. Ross had 11 children, 19 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and five great-great grandchildren with at least one more on the way. Two beloved granddaughters pre-deceased him - Shelly Ann Osterhout and Shannon Marie McAllen in 2017. Ross was pre-deceased by his siblings and has many nieces and nephews.

Ross has been a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bay City since 1953, serving on the Board of Trustees and as an Elder during the building of the church and the Fellowship Hall. He rarely missed a Sunday at church. Ross is a member of the American Legion, Society of the Third Infantry Division, Combat Infantrymen's Association, the Disabled American Veterans Association, the Loyal Order of the Moose, and the Bay City Eagles Aerie. He had been a member of the Elks Club, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Civitan Club, and served on the board of the Salvation Army and the Retarded Children's Fund for Bay County.

Throughout his life, Ross enjoyed traveling and visiting new places, playing cards and games, gardening, and spending time with his family. He grew a large garden every year, canned his own tomato juice, and shared his produce with many family members and friends.

A Funeral Service will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, February 21, 2025 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Officiating will be Rev. Linda Williams and Rev. Jamie Milton with interment following at Greenridge Cemetery. Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at Gephart Funeral Home from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Westminster Presbyterian Church or a charity of one's choice. 

The family is grateful to Dobson Healthcare for their expert home health care that allowed Ross to remain active and live in his home during his final years of life.