In Memory of Bill Ross
Bill was very much a family man. He was born in Ireland on 20th November 1920 and moved about with his mum and dad, for
dad was a printer and went where the work was.
As a result the family moved a lot and so Bill, his brother Jack, and sisters Madge and Jessie didn’t settle until in his youth Bill arrived in Send.
In 1940 aged 20 Bill joined the Royal Air Force serving in Italy and Malta and was discharged in 1946 following the end
of the Second World War.
Of course we rejoice that Bill survived those dreadful years and perhaps they shaped him into the quiet thoughtful man he was.
On leaving the Air Force he went to work at Botley Park Hospital, becoming one of the first to qualify as an
Occupational Therapist. More importantly it was while working there that he met and fell in love with another member
of staff. One Ivy.
They married on the 6th August 1955 and enjoyed almost 52 years of happily married life. 51 of
those years were spent in Knaphill having moved into their present house in 1956.
Along came Billie closely followed by the twins Shirley and John. The family multiplied with daughters in law Sonia and Chris
and son in law Simon.
Better still Bill became Grandad to Jonathan, Rose, Philip, Timothy, Harriett, Robert, Andrew, James Kate and David.
Bill himself spent his life looking for the best in those he worked with, many of whom had significant learning disabilities,
each one special to Bill as he worked in Guildford, Chertsey, Walton and finally Staines from where he retired back in 1985.
His other love was animals – If you’ve met Lily you will know of his love for Parrots, but he loved every creature great or
small including mice, cats, birds, dogs and his tortoise. He enjoyed holidays with the family in particular Selsey and of
course touring the Highlands of Scotland taking the dogs with them.
Bill demonstrated Christ’s love in his actions for others and indeed he and I talked often about his work which clearly left its
mark on him. In a sense the fact that he loved others is the most powerful demonstration that God’s love was in him and
that love is impossible to separate from him.
Bill knew God. I know that. Over the last 2 years or so I have had the privilege of visiting Bill on a number of
occasions at home and in different hospitals. And in the course of those visits I became aware of his trust in God.
Now Bill was in many ways a quiet man and so you had to look carefully for the signs.
Signs that many here will have spotted for themselves. Bill wasn’t one to push himself forward and at times church
attendance was sporadic but he was always there for Ivy and if she wanted him at Church he would come.
During the days of the Youth Club he was 'Mr Fix It' using his creative skills to the full.
We talked of God during one of my hospital visits and I know that he had an assurance of God's unfailing love.
Bill was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease some ten years ago – a difficult cross to bear with good periods, interspersed
with difficult times, yet for seven years the disease was held at bay by medication.
In the last three years Bill’s health deteriorated.
Bill's life had become hard and the move out of Hospital restored his dignity.
He passed away soon after at Collingwood Grange where we believe God's love for Bill worked things out,
so that Bill was called home.
We who are left behind miss him and grieve, but we rejoice that his pain and suffering
is over. And we are grateful to all who cared for him in the last weeks of his life.
We are called not to be so grief shattered that we fail to celebrate the fact that Bill is now in heaven with Jesus.
