ROSS, JOEL DAVID - The Ross family has lost a very precious member on Wednesday, June 6th at the Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital. David was born in Hopetown, Quebec on the Gaspé Coast on November 17th, 1945, in the family homestead. He is the beloved husband of Kay (Lunn) and the son of Robbie and Phyllis (Bull) Ross. David is predeceased by his cherished brother John and John`s son Greg. He is survived by his big brother Jim, his little sister Sylvie, his daughter Joelle and his son John, as well as his grandchildren Jordie and Emma and his many nieces and nephews. Many Frederictonians will remember David as manager of the Cosmo in its earliest years and also Dave`s Sports Bar in the ‘90s. It is not well known that David was a graduate of the Maritime Forest Ranger School in 1965. He loved to work in the woods and was never happier than when he was stuck in the mud or the snow. David took great pride in being a member of the Fredericton York-Sunbury Ground Search and Rescue from 2002 and in the past two years was only able to participate in activities when his cancer would permit. In the year 2000, David was given one year to live. He not only survived with the help of several interventions, but lived life to the fullest for 12 years, thanks to David’s incredible determination, the health professionals, the family and friends who contributed to his success. A very special thank you goes to Dr. Lori Wood, kidney cancer specialist, and her team at the QEII in Halifax, as well as Jenn and Dr. Randall in Fredericton, Dr. Russell Gowan and also Dr. Debra Gowan, all of whom were very dedicated and committed to David`s and the family`s well-being. We also need to thank the staff at Emerge and the many units that had David as a patient over the past years. A very special thank you also to the staff at 4SE for helping us through a very difficult time. We would also like to thank the pharmacists and staff at the Atlantic Superstore on Smythe for whose help and kind consideration over the past 12 years was invaluable.
There will be a private celebration of David`s life on Friday and also a celebration of life in August on his beloved Gaspé Coast. In lieu of flowers, David and the family have requested that donations be made to Kidney Cancer Canada, www.kidneycancercanada.ca or Fredericton York-Sunbury Ground Search and Rescue. Online condolences can be made at www.mcadamsfh.com. Remember as David would say “Everyday is a good day”