Charles E. Ross Jr., 91, of Landisville, finished his long race in the peace and warmth of home on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Cared for by his loving wife, Carol, he met a difficult final stretch with the same courage and strength he showed throughout his life.

Born in Lancaster to Martha (Riley) and Charles E. Ross Sr., Charlie spent much of his boyhood on a farm in the Millersville area, where he walked to a one-room schoolhouse and helped with all sorts of farm chores. He left school early to serve in the Navy from 1952 until the end of his Reserve period in 1960. He married Carol Miller on July 18, 1959, in Lancaster, and the two shared 67 years together.

Charlie began his career in 1957 as a machinist at J.L. Clark in Lancaster and became a skilled tool and die tradesman. He moved wherever the best opportunity led, including Olivetti-Underwood, where he was promoted to supervisor, Bearings Company, and finally Wells Connector, where he ended his manufacturing career in the early 1990s, again as a supervisor. He often said that working for different companies broadened his skills, and he was known for his craftsmanship and dependability. Retirement didn't keep him from working for long, as he continued part-time at Manheim Auto Auction.

Charlie was happiest with a fishing rod in his hands, especially deep-sea fishing when he got the chance, though he also won awards for his roses and enjoyed small-game hunting. He and Carol belonged to a pinochle club for years, playing monthly and taking yearly trips together as a group. Always curious, he kept up with the news, watched travel shows (Rick Steves was a favorite), and enjoyed his smart watch and his Alexa, which read him Sherlock Holmes and reminded him to take his medicines.

Charlie had a remarkable ability to live a joy-filled life while his body wore down through more than twenty years of heart failure, cancer, and other health challenges. His mind never slowed. Even this past summer he could be found cruising the neighborhood in his Jazzy, stopping to visit with neighbors, because he loved people most of all. He had a warm smile and a warmer heart, and his family was the pride of his life, every last one.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Carol (Miller) Ross; daughter Kathy (Ross) Shelley; son Charles E. Ross III (Kelly Woods Ross); daughter Carisa (Ross) Sanderson Maguire (Brian Maguire); seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and all of his siblings.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Christ the King Community Church, 2449 Marietta Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17601. Private interment will be at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA. To leave a condolence with the family, of for more information, visit www.spencefuneralservices.com.