"we think of you every day...FIREBALL!!! Friends for life here and elsewhere....we love you !!"
In loving memory of
Clint Marshall Ross
Clint Marshall Ross was born in Scottsdale, AZ on September 5, 1963 and from that moment on, the world was never quite the same. He grew up in Kearny, AZ where he was known for his crazy antics and his fast car. Upon graduating from Ray High School, Clint joined the Army where he would spend 20 years protecting his beloved country. His accomplishments while in the Army are too many to list, but those he was proudest of involved shaping the hearts and minds of young soldiers. He took his responsibility very seriously and the impact he made was great. We are still hearing stories from men who credit him with making them who they are today. "Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything" still rings in our ears.
While he served all over the world, his favorite place is the desert and upon retiring from the Army in 2002, he got his opportunity to spend some serious time in the desert while working for United Defense/BAE Systems. He accompanied the active duty soldiers to Iraq every chance he could get returning home only two weeks per year. Oh, the stories he could tell about his time in the desert. After 11 years with BAE, he had an opportunity to return to his favorite desert spot - Arizona. This is where he would spend the rest of his years reconnecting with friends and family and touching the lives of so many. No matter what a person thought of Clint upon meeting him, we can all agree that they never forgot him. "Larger than life" doesn't quite do him justice, but it's the closest thing we can find to describe his presence on earth and we know that heaven definitely gained a hero on October 3, 2016.
Clint is survived by his Mother Marie Farar of Yuma, AZ, Father Arlis Myrl Ross of Stratford, OK, brother Bill Ross of San Diego, CA, brother Jeff Collins of Stephenville, TX, and sister Holly Cunningham of Show Low, AZ.
Services will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, October 11 at Hansen Desert Hills Mortuary, 6550 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, followed by a graveside military honors service at 12:30 at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, 23029 N Cave Creek Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85024.
Tributes
"Tchin tchin FIREBALL friend !!! we love you for the live !!! Bruno and Josée..xx"
"Thinking of you today and every day. Love you, love you, love you"
"To the family of Clint, may God continue to be a blessing in your life. Clint and I grew up in the military from PFC's to SFC (Ret). Every where I went or he went, we somehow ended up on the same post. I remember as privates in the same platoon out in the field, this guy took me out hunting for snakes to eat later on that night. He was a crazy guy but a great friend. I will truly miss him."
"Meeting you was fate, loving you was easy, and forgetting you is impossible. I miss the sound of your laughter, your infectious smile, and oh yes your term of endearment "JACKASS"! You were larger than life and you loved with all you had. I never had to wonder how much you truly cared 143. You never ceased to amaze me with all your creative little surprises. You will forever be in my soul Clint. A whirlwind come and gone far to soon. Rest in Paradise ... Until we meet again, I'll be seeing you in my dreams. I Love You....Your ONE and only"
"I still can not wrap my head around the fact that you are gone "
"? I never knew you, Yet I think I could not refuse this moment to die for you, if that would save you? ? Walt Whitman, Drum Taps Thank you Soldier"
"My condolences to the family. His mom and my grandma Dorothy are/were sisters. I haven't seen him since he left Riverside. Rest In Peace. Danny Fessenden"
"I'll never forget "Fireball" with Clint and then hugging the porcelain for hours later! You marched to your own tune and are truly unforgettable. You will be missed. Rest in peace Clint. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Mike and Becky"
"Clint ----so handsome with a big heart and lots of spirit and spunk. I'm grateful for all his service to our country. He will be missed by all. Rest in peace cousin. Prayers for all the family."
"My Condolences to Clints Family...God Bless You All!"
"Recently met him at my bar in La Cantina in Kearny....gone far too soon...rest in paradise Clint and thank you for your services in the Army!"
"My heart is heavy with your loss, however the impact you have placed on others is impeccable, my friend. I remember it was you, that invented "Sockey" at High School. Played on the aisles of the Auditorium with sprinkler-caps. I will always remember you, my friend. God has blessed us all with another Angel. Rest easy, my friend. We have the watch from here."
"I am so heartbroken by this news. I have honor to work with him at BAE Systems and became friends. Fly high our brave warrior!"
"To the family, I am sorry for your loss, please accept my sincere condolences."
"I was so happy to get back in touch after years of not hearing from him. We talked a few times a month and I am going to miss those conversations. We all have great memories as kids, would have liked to share some more as adults. For ever in our thoughts. Your friends will miss you."
"TWO YEARS AGO WHEN WE GONE TO A TRIP TO ARIZONA, WE HAD CHANCE TO KNOW CLINT , WE ALLOWED TO DISCOVER HIS COUNTRY BUT WHAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, IS THIS GENEROUS MAN, ALWAYS CHEERFUL, PROUD AND ENGAGING , WE CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS MAN MADE A DIFFERENCE IN LIFE OF MANY PERSONS, OUR SINCERE SYMPATHY TO A FAMILY AND ALL LOVELY FRIENDS .... JOSEE ET BRUNO CANADIAN'S FRIENDS"
"Clint your a long time friend with United Defense/BAE SYSTEMS and the APS-5 Project in Kuwait 2009, I have learned a lot from you in that time Frame and there has been many other times that we were together working on The Bradley around the world. You will missed so very much. Heaven has gained another angel and our Army has lost a true warrior. Take care Clint you will never be forgotten you will be talked about from Family, friends, and fellow soldiers past and present. I will always remember you Clint!!!"
"Even as kids I always admired my cousin Clint. He taught me more than he knows. I hadn't seen him in a long time but we did reconnect on facebook. I looked forward everyday to seeing what he had posted and would share them with my family. I was looking forward to seeing him in the near future at some sort of family event I am saddened to say it will be at his funeral. My heart is broken. I can't believe my larger than life cousin will no longer be with us on this earth. Once again he has taught me something.... Don't wait to tell the people i love how much they mean to me. Not to wait around for an opportunity to see them because you never know when the lord is going to call them up to be with him. Rest In Peace Clint You will be truly missed."
"Got to know Clint when he worked for BAE at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Good guy and was saddened to hear of his passing. RIP Ol Buddy, till we meet again...."
"Condolences to Clint's family. Every once in a while there comes someone you can never forget. Clint was that guy. I'll miss seeing you Clint. Rest Easy Amigo."
"A great friend, brother, mentor, and leader of men. Clint and I were raised in the same Masonic Lodge in Germany, spent many years together in the same Army units, and stayed on contact over the years. Safe travels across the universe, my brother. You will always be remembered and honored."
"What do we do now?words can not describe my sorrow...God speed BROTHER!!!!! Love is too small a word for how I feel about you,so proud of you..tears will never cease.....out of words."
"When I met Clint, I knew instantly that this was a fun-loving, caring, hardworking, one- of- a -kind, unique person. There are no words to share that will ease the pain of his loss. His life was a blessing, his memory a treasure, he's loved beyond words and will be missed beyond measure. Where there is deep grief there is great love . I hope the family finds comfort in knowing Clint made such an impact on so many people. My thoughts and prayers. .Laurie"
"Mom, Jeff and Amanda. I am so sorry for your loss. May God wrap his arms around all of you and comfort you. I love you guys so much. You have always been there for me and my family. Absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Look to the hills, which cometh your strength. God bless."
"The day I met Clint I went right up and hugged him and I knew then we would always be friends. An hour later he was calling me Jackass and I was calling him the same. His name will always remain that way on my phone. We had fun together and he got me through some sad times. Big strong Army Ranger with an amazing and caring heart. There is not one of us he did not help in some way at some time. I will treasure the hike we took in April wirh Karen. Rest in Peace my friend. I love you. Fire in the hole!"
"Our collective hearts hurt so, Clint. We will miss you beyond words. Your love of country, God and family is inspiring. It has been an honor and a privilege to know you. While I want to say rest easy to you, we all know full well you are shaking the walls of Heaven. I will never forget you. Love, Crapacino"
"So sorry for your loss. Will be praying for healing hearts."
"Yes - Larger than life, true patriot, rock solid supporter of those he loved, and one fun loving man. I wasn't around Clint much, but am very glad I got to know him. I am so sorry for the void left by his loss."
"We already miss you like crazy, but know that we are lucky to have such a strong warrior angel looking over us. Rest easy and ride free Clint Ross. I don't know what we'll do without you. Love always, Karen"
"My heart is in pieces tonight.... Heaven has gained another angel and our Army has lost a true warrior......Clint Ross was my very first squad leader upon my arrival in Gelnhausen, Germany in April 1989.... The man that first taught me the importance of attention to details, never making excuses and "brought down the pain" on me and others when we failed to meet his high standards... The man that taught me what a real "Smoke session", "Wood Line Counseling" and the "School of Soldiering" was all about... The man that didn't seem to own a watch and spent countless hours training me and others so that we were "1st time Go" on all tasks to earn our Expert Infantry Badge... I'll never forget the proud look on his face when they pinned on my EIB....The same man who along with Ed Gould received and notified me of a Red Crosses message, stood by my side and made sure that a scared and hurting young private got home in time to attend the funeral of his grandfather that had been murdered.. The man that I had many laughs, tears, a lot of beers and countless great times with.... The man that was always teaching me and challenging me to find the real strength and character within myself that even I didn't realize that I had......But most importantly, Clint Ross taught me lessons in leadership that I carried and used with my own soldiers throughout my own 27 year Army career.. Lessons like "Brutal Honesty and Integrity is always best when dealing with superiors, peers and subordinates alike "...... "The only agenda should be mission accomplishment" ... And .."Always do the right thing, even when no one is looking!!"... My heart is breaking right now and I shall miss my leader, mentor and friend... I'll see you again on the high ground brother!!!.. "