Donald Marcus Gross
March 10, 1953 — November 30, 2010
Donald Marcus Gross, the son of Marcus and Naomi Schmitz Gross was born in Harlan, Iowa on March 10, 1953. The Gross family lived in the Earling and Defiance, Iowa areas where Donald started school in Earling and attended grade school in Defiance. He then attended high school in Harlan, graduating with the class of 1971. During high school, and after, Donald worked with his father in his auto repair shop in Defiance.
On August 25, 1972, Donald entered the United States army and served over seas in Germany during the Vietnam Conflict. After receiving his honorable discharge from the Army on August 19, 1975, he worked for Johnson Motors in Denison, Iowa for a short time. He was united in marriage to Sarah Funk in Seattle, Washington on August 24, 1991 and one son Collin was born to this union. Donald fixed and restored older classic cars in Colorado and Seattle, Washington for several years. He named one of his repair shops Aardvark Repair just so he could be listed first in the phone book. During this time, he developed his love for the mountains and enjoyed bicycle trips. Because he was in excellent physical shape he would sometimes do two hundred mile trips in a single day. He was a free spirit and would create his own travel logs. He enjoyed his large collection of music, loving to sing along with many of his classic rock favorites.
He was injured on one of his biking trips, and could not fully recover so he became a resident of the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa in 2000. While living in the Veteran’s Home, he developed leather working skills and was proud of the items that he made. He was present at Mass every Thursday, and if he had a visitor he would excuse himself so he could attend.
Donald died unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Iowa while he was being treated for an injury he received at his home. He had attained the age of fifty-seven years, eight months and twenty days.
Survivors include his son, Collin Gross, of Seattle, Washington; his parents, Marcus and Naomi Gross, Sr. of Harlan, Iowa; siblings: Patrick Gross and his wife Maggie of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sharon and her husband Dr. Henri Duyzend of Seattle; Douglas Gross and his wife Eileen of Des Moines, Iowa; Terry Gross and his wife Luanne of Lakewood Colorado; Bill Gross and his wife Kris of Indianola, Iowa; Gene Gross of Harlan; Nancy and her husband Roger Karnofski of Longview, Washington; Marcus Gross, Jr., and his wife Kris of Harlan and Jack Gross and his wife Lourdes of Ramstein Air Base, Germany; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Rev. Kenneth Gross and concelebrated by Rev. Chris Fontanini at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Defiance, Iowa. Military Rites were conducted at Sts. Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Defiance by the Westphalia and Defiance American Legion Post No. 707 with Donald’s brothers, Pat, Douglas, Terry, Bill, Gene, Marcus and Jack serving as casket bearers.
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On August 25, 1972, Donald entered the United States army and served over seas in Germany during the Vietnam Conflict. After receiving his honorable discharge from the Army on August 19, 1975, he worked for Johnson Motors in Denison, Iowa for a short time. He was united in marriage to Sarah Funk in Seattle, Washington on August 24, 1991 and one son Collin was born to this union. Donald fixed and restored older classic cars in Colorado and Seattle, Washington for several years. He named one of his repair shops Aardvark Repair just so he could be listed first in the phone book. During this time, he developed his love for the mountains and enjoyed bicycle trips. Because he was in excellent physical shape he would sometimes do two hundred mile trips in a single day. He was a free spirit and would create his own travel logs. He enjoyed his large collection of music, loving to sing along with many of his classic rock favorites.
He was injured on one of his biking trips, and could not fully recover so he became a resident of the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa in 2000. While living in the Veteran’s Home, he developed leather working skills and was proud of the items that he made. He was present at Mass every Thursday, and if he had a visitor he would excuse himself so he could attend.
Donald died unexpectedly on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, Iowa while he was being treated for an injury he received at his home. He had attained the age of fifty-seven years, eight months and twenty days.
Survivors include his son, Collin Gross, of Seattle, Washington; his parents, Marcus and Naomi Gross, Sr. of Harlan, Iowa; siblings: Patrick Gross and his wife Maggie of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Sharon and her husband Dr. Henri Duyzend of Seattle; Douglas Gross and his wife Eileen of Des Moines, Iowa; Terry Gross and his wife Luanne of Lakewood Colorado; Bill Gross and his wife Kris of Indianola, Iowa; Gene Gross of Harlan; Nancy and her husband Roger Karnofski of Longview, Washington; Marcus Gross, Jr., and his wife Kris of Harlan and Jack Gross and his wife Lourdes of Ramstein Air Base, Germany; nieces and nephews; other relatives and many friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Rev. Kenneth Gross and concelebrated by Rev. Chris Fontanini at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Defiance, Iowa. Military Rites were conducted at Sts. Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Defiance by the Westphalia and Defiance American Legion Post No. 707 with Donald’s brothers, Pat, Douglas, Terry, Bill, Gene, Marcus and Jack serving as casket bearers.
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