Nancy A. Ross

Nancy Anne Ross, 93, of Willow Valley Communities in Lancaster, died peacefully in her sleep after a long illness on July 31, 2026. Born in Oak Park, Illinois on December 2, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Walter A. Gibbon and Katherine J. Schroer. Nancy was preceded in death by her husband John Harold Ross in 1981, her brother Duke P. Gibbon in 2005, a grand-daughter Jillian Ross in 2022, and her son John Kevin Ross in 2025.

Nancy grew up in Oak Park. After the experience of attending a large public high school she chose to go to St. Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana. It was a small all-girls college across the street from Notre Dame. Nancy was required to take a theology class every semester, and she recalled that the foundation of her Catholic faith and beliefs was formed at St. Mary’s. She graduated with a BA in Business in 1954.

After her children were raised, Nancy completed a graduate program at Trenton State College in Social Work, specializing in gerontology. She went on to enjoy a decade of full-time work as a caseworker at a nursing home.

In her retirement years, she became an associate with the Adorers of the Blood of Christ (an order of nuns whom she admired). She volunteered for 13 years by distributing communion to residents at St. Annes Retirement Community in Columbia, PA. She was also a Eucharistic minister at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Lancaster. During her nearly thirty years living at Willow Valley Communities, she continued to nurture her spiritual life by participating in a small-group Bible study.

Nancy took a 6-week class trip to Europe at age 19 as a college sophomore. They traveled aboard the Queen Mary ship and visited 6 countries via train rides. She fell in love with Venice and vowed to visit again someday! It would take 32 years for her to return. Nancy traveled back to Venice with coworkers, and later with Willow Valley travel club friends. She also traveled to Venice with her son Peter in 2004 and he later painted many scenes from his photography. Nancy also took a trip to Scotland with her son Kevin.

In addition to travel, Nancy loved to spend time with her adult children and grandchildren. It was her idea to start a summer tradition of the families’ renting big houses at Bethany Beach, Delaware. Family memories include: building sandcastles, watching dolphins, body surfing, enjoying sunsets, and playing games after dinner. Thank you, Nana, for your role in building these core memories.

Nancy is survived by her children: Mary Lynn (Vince), Katherine (John), Peter, Jennifer (Walter), Patricia (Gerald), Gerald (Helen), Thomas (Sheree), and Michael, 16 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Nancy’s Mass of Christian Burial will be Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 225 Bellevue Ave., Penndel, PA on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 10:30 am with interment following at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery, 1215 Super Hwy, Langhorne, PA. Friends may visit with Nancy’s family prior to Mass from 10am to 10:30 am.