John A. Ross, 79, of Bloomfield, formerly of East Windsor and Pennington, NJ passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at Mountainside Hospital.
John was born in The Bronx, New York, but moved to Norfolk Naval Base in 1941, when his father entered the navy during World War II. After the war, he moved to Trenton, NJ, and graduated from Trenton High School in 1954. He went on to study at Trenton Junior College and then transferred to Temple University’s Tyler School of Fine Art, from which he graduated with a BFA degree in 1963. At Tyler, John studied painting, drawing, printmaking, and sculpture under the tutelage of Henry Abels and Neil Kosch. John later received his certification in secondary education from Trenton State College and was employed by the Trenton Board of Education as a teacher at Grace Dunn Junior High for over 30 years. At Dunn, John taught art, drafting, and mechanical drawing.
After his retirement in 1997, John refocused his energy on his painting. In the summer of 2000, John mounted his first one-man show at the Nutley Free Public Library, where he displayed over twenty-five of his oil and acrylic paintings. He was a member of the Bloomfield Art League for many years and was presently a member of the Clifton Arts Association. He received top honors on several occasions in members-only shows mounted by both art leagues. He enjoyed a growing acceptance of his art work and has sold several works to local residents. He also has done commission portraits for individuals throughout New Jersey and New York.
In addition to his interest in art, John was an avid reader, particularly biography and World War II nonfiction. He loved crossword puzzles, 40’s and 50’s jazz and pop music, gardening, and bird-watching. He loved his New York Giants and was a Mets fan from day one!!!!! One of his favorite pastimes was walking the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ with his family.
John is survived by his wife, Laura Perrotta Ross, his sister Ruth Geredien and his brother William Ross, his four children, Ellen, Thomas, Erin, and Sheila, and their children, Justin, Stefani, Katelyn, Shawn, and Amber, his mother-in-law, Yolanda Perrotta, his sister-in-law Mary Perrotta, his step-daughter Jessica D’Amore and her husband, John Thompson, and his three beloved granddaughters, Nola, Enya, and Celeste Thompson.
Visitation will be at S.W. Brown and Son Funeral Home, 267 Centre St., Nutley, NJ, on Friday, July 17, 2015 from 4:00-8:00 PM. Funeral services will be from the funeral home at 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 18 followed by burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, North Arlington, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Job Haines Home, 250 Bloomfield Ave., Bloomfield, NJ 07003 in the name of John A. Ross.

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