William Robert (Bill) Ross was our loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, and Doc to his many two- and four-legged friends in Sunflower County. Bill entered his eternal home to join his beloved wife, Mary Anne Sanders Ross, on Tuesday, August 18, 2015.
A celebration of life service was held at First United Methodist Church in Indianola, MS, at 3:00 pm on Friday, August 21, 2015. A private graveside service was held on Saturday, August 22, 2015 in Aliceville, AL. Arrangements were under the direction of Boone-Card Funeral Home, Indianola.
Bill was born and raised on a farm in Minter City, Mississippi—the youngest of six children. He attended Mississippi State, at the very young age of 16, for a brief time prior to joining the Navy for service during World War II.
Upon discharge, Bill enrolled at Auburn University in their well-respected Veterinary Medicine program. It was here that he met the love of his life (on a blind date we have been told), Mary Anne Sanders, who was attending the University of Alabama. As he completed his DVM degree, Mary Anne taught fashion design at Auburn University.
At the encouragement of the late John Hough and other Delta citizens, Bill and Mary Anne visited Indianola and immediately fell in love with the close-knit community they would come to call home. Here, Bill set up Ross Veterinary Clinic, which occupied his devotion for over 50 years. Together he and Mary Anne raised four daughters, the joy of their lives.
Bill was predeceased by his parents, John Ellis Ross and Sara Robinson Ross; his siblings John Ellis Ross Jr., Sarah Ross Cowart, James Cooper Ross, Joe Robinson Ross, Charles Thomas Ross; and his wife, Mary Anne Sanders Ross. He leaves behind to cherish his memory four daughters: Lisa Ross Moorefield and her husband Bob of Charlottesville, VA; Jane Ross Bolin and her husband Pat of Dallas, TX; Lauren Ross Doviak and her husband Bob of Dallas, TX; and Anna Ross Fuller and her husband Steve of Bluffton, SC. Holding a special place in his heart were his nine grandchildren and one great grandchild: William Ross Moorefield (wife, Melissa), Anna Elizabeth Moorefield, Phillip Houston Bolin (wife, Katrina and son, Knox), Ross Sterling Bolin, Robert Francis Doviak III, Katherine Ross Doviak, Mary Grace Doviak, Stephen Ross Fuller, and Alexandra Stewart Fuller.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the First United Methodist Church of Indianola, MS (www.indfumc.org) or to a charity of your choice. Or you can give your support to a friend or animal in need. Bill would have approved and done the same.