Obituary for Pastor Mike Ross
Pastor Michael S. Ross, 66
EAST LIVERPOOL – Pastor Michael S. Ross, of East Liverpool, passed away Tuesday morning, February 28, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Hospital following a sudden illness. He was 66.
He was born in Sandusky, Ohio on August 19, 1956 to the late Charles Franklin Ross II and Grace Keebler Ross Felton McKinnon. He was a 1975 graduate of Huron High School and briefly joined the United States Army following graduation. After an honorable discharge in December of 1975, he travelled to Alaska, where under the guidance of Dick Benjamin and Abbot Loop Christian Center, he committed his life to Jesus Christ and became a passionate disciple.
Known to many as Pastor Mike, he attended International Bible Institute and Seminary and graduated in 1986. He spent ten years at Alliance Christian Center, where he served as an elder under Pastor Kirk Martin.
Pastor Mike felt a divine call to the East Liverpool area where he planted Hope Christian Fellowship in 1990. What began as a few believers meeting within homes quickly became a congregation of hundreds. Many lives were marked and forever changed because of Pastor Mike’s obedience and great leap of faith. This bold faith and wholehearted desire to live fully surrendered to God is the defining factor of Pastor Mike’s life and legacy.
Aside from pastoring, Mike enjoyed his missions work in Africa with Harvest Preparation International Ministries. He was a proud member of the Calcutta Rotary and a generous supporter of Heartbeat of Columbiana County. He enjoyed bowling and golfing and was an avid Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes fan.
He is survived by his wife, Karen A. Ross, at home. The couple married July 18, 1980. There are four children: Farah Leland and her husband, Steve, Christian Kish and his wife, Katrina, Sheena Wain and her husband, Kris, and Michael Ross and his wife, Brittany. He will also be lovingly remembered by his grandchildren, Krissy and her partner, Kevin, Zachary, Jaden, Grace, Kisha, Brady, Zaiden, Quinn, Jackson, Brinley and Brogan and his great-grandchildren, Claire and Cora.
Two sisters survive, Bonnie Cripe and Pamela Kline.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister Sandra Drummond, a brother Charles Ross III, and two step-fathers, Owen Felton and Owen McKinnon.
Family and friends may visit Friday afternoon and evening at the Dawson Funeral Home where the family will be present from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Mike’s family will conduct a funeral service Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Hope Christian Fellowship, 13320 State Route 7, Lisbon, Ohio.
Following the service, family and friends will remain at the church for a luncheon.
Memorial tributes may take the form of contributions to Heartbeat of Columbiana County, P. O. Box 204, East Liverpool, OH 43920 or online at www.heartbeatcc.com/give.
EAST LIVERPOOL – Pastor Michael S. Ross, of East Liverpool, passed away Tuesday morning, February 28, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Hospital following a sudden illness. He was 66.
He was born in Sandusky, Ohio on August 19, 1956 to the late Charles Franklin Ross II and Grace Keebler Ross Felton McKinnon. He was a 1975 graduate of Huron High School and briefly joined the United States Army following graduation. After an honorable discharge in December of 1975, he travelled to Alaska, where under the guidance of Dick Benjamin and Abbot Loop Christian Center, he committed his life to Jesus Christ and became a passionate disciple.
Known to many as Pastor Mike, he attended International Bible Institute and Seminary and graduated in 1986. He spent ten years at Alliance Christian Center, where he served as an elder under Pastor Kirk Martin.
Pastor Mike felt a divine call to the East Liverpool area where he planted Hope Christian Fellowship in 1990. What began as a few believers meeting within homes quickly became a congregation of hundreds. Many lives were marked and forever changed because of Pastor Mike’s obedience and great leap of faith. This bold faith and wholehearted desire to live fully surrendered to God is the defining factor of Pastor Mike’s life and legacy.
Aside from pastoring, Mike enjoyed his missions work in Africa with Harvest Preparation International Ministries. He was a proud member of the Calcutta Rotary and a generous supporter of Heartbeat of Columbiana County. He enjoyed bowling and golfing and was an avid Cleveland Browns and Ohio State Buckeyes fan.
He is survived by his wife, Karen A. Ross, at home. The couple married July 18, 1980. There are four children: Farah Leland and her husband, Steve, Christian Kish and his wife, Katrina, Sheena Wain and her husband, Kris, and Michael Ross and his wife, Brittany. He will also be lovingly remembered by his grandchildren, Krissy and her partner, Kevin, Zachary, Jaden, Grace, Kisha, Brady, Zaiden, Quinn, Jackson, Brinley and Brogan and his great-grandchildren, Claire and Cora.
Two sisters survive, Bonnie Cripe and Pamela Kline.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister Sandra Drummond, a brother Charles Ross III, and two step-fathers, Owen Felton and Owen McKinnon.
Family and friends may visit Friday afternoon and evening at the Dawson Funeral Home where the family will be present from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Mike’s family will conduct a funeral service Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Hope Christian Fellowship, 13320 State Route 7, Lisbon, Ohio.
Following the service, family and friends will remain at the church for a luncheon.
Memorial tributes may take the form of contributions to Heartbeat of Columbiana County, P. O. Box 204, East Liverpool, OH 43920 or online at www.heartbeatcc.com/give.