I was very sorry to hear of the passing of John. I met him at last
years conference at Stanford and he was very kind to sit and talk
with me for a bit even though I was, and am, new to this list. And
although there were many wonderful things that I learned at my first
conference, my time talking with John stands out in my mind as a high
point.
Steve Koto
On May 28, 2009, at 8:35 AM, L. Sercombe wrote:
> I'm sorry to report that John Ross, who often posted to the ARSC
> list, recently passed away in Seattle. The following notice is
> reprinted courtesy of The Mudcat Cafe Website -
>
> John Maxwell Ross died April 6, 2009, of natural causes at his home
> in Seattle following a sudden heart attack. An only child, he was
> preceded in death by his parents.
>
> John was born April 3, 1947 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was a
> graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and served
> four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he was stationed in St.
> Louis, Missouri. His world travels eventually brought him to
> Seattle, where he spent the next few decades following his personal
> and professional interests.
>
> An accomplished author of technical books for Microsoft Press, No
> Starch Press and other publishers, he also pursued other writing
> projects for various entities, including a planned study of the
> writings of E.B. White. He combined his Coast Guard radio
> engineering experience and his love for music and folklore to
> become an asset to many local organizations, including KRAB Radio,
> Northwest Folklife, and the Seattle Folklore Society. He was a
> dedicated archivist and was deeply committed to preserving the
> musical heritage of the past in new and different media. He was a
> frequent contributor to the WELL and a member of the Mudcat Caf
> (along with other "Folk Scare alumni").
>
> In addition to his literary and musical pursuits, he enjoyed
> collecting (and drinking) local Pacific Northwest wines and was
> familiar with many of the wineries. He was interested in tinplate
> trains and frequently volunteered at the train shows held during
> Thanksgiving weekend at the Pacific Science Center. He served on
> the Wallingford Community Council and enjoyed making homemade apple
> cider with members of the Northwest Cider Society.
>
> John was a philosopher, a contributor, an iconoclast and a source
> of knowledge; and he will be missed by the many friends he made
> through all his different interests.
>
> A memorial service is being planned for some time in the future. If
> you are interested in knowing more about it, please contact Doug
> Manana at [log in to unmask]
>
> For those wishing to honor his memory and the many contributions he
> made to various groups, donations to the Seattle Folklore Society,
> Northwest Folklife, or St. John's College (Annapolis, MD) are
> suggested.
>
> Reprinted courtesy of The Mudcat Cafe Website: http://mudcat.org/
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