Mary (Brogno) Ross, 94

November 16, 2020

Mary Ross, formerly of Harmony Twp., passed away of natural causes on Monday November 16, 2020, in the presence of loved ones, at Brethren Village, Lititz, PA. She was just shy of her 95th birthday. She was born on November 20, 1925 in Ambridge, PA, to the late Agostino and Elizabetta (Strano) Brogno. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Fred C. Ross, Sr., who passed away in 1987. They had been married 35 years at the time of his passing.

Mary graduated from Ambridge High School in 1944. She attended the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study fashion design. All of her life, she had a flair for fashion and decorating. She sewed beautifully and her homes were always welcoming and reflected her sense of style. Before she married, she worked as a telephone operator for Bell Telephone, where she made life-long friends. Mary excelled at homemaking and loved entertaining. Family gatherings, where many happy memories were created, were her specialty. She was an excellent cook and baker. Her “Lady Locks” were the anticipation of every get together. Over the years, she enjoyed sharing her recipe and technique with the younger generations but was known to be a tough critic! As much as she loved her home, Mary loved to travel. Over the years, she covered a lot of ground (and air) making trips to all ends of the country to visit and celebrate occasions with family near and far. She especially enjoyed trips to Las Vegas and was almost always lucky at the slots. She was a lover of musicals and Broadway productions. She was also very crafty and shared her bow making and flower arranging skills with anyone who cared to learn. In the late 70’s, she and her sister, Josephine, owned a popular gift shop, called “Ginny’s Gazebo” in the historic Old Economy area of Ambridge.

Mary was an active member of the former Christ the King and Good Samaritan parishes in Ambridge. She served as a representative of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and was active as a Christian Mother. In May 2010, she and her sister, Kay, were thrilled when they were named “Co-May Queens” by the Christian Mothers. She was also a member of the Harmony Twp. Civic Club and the Beaver County Young Democrats. She was a founding member of “Together,” a grief support social group, where she made many good friends and enjoyed planning fun social activities.

She is survived by her four loving children, Marilyn (Tim) Sobota, Lancaster, JoEllen (Richard) Wrafter, Fairport, NY, Fred, Jr (Susan) Ross, Irondale, AL and Ginny Ross, Pittsburgh. Six grandchildren, Justin (Millie), Sobota, North Potomac, MD, Ashley (Jeremy) Schwarz, Lancaster, Natalie Wrafter, Canandaigua, NY, Brendan Wrafter, Brooklyn, NY, Gavin (Mimi) Ross, Notasulga, AL, and Kacee Ross, Birmingham, AL. Five great grandchildren, Camille and Colette Schwarz, Caleb Sobota, and Ruby and Hank Ross. She is also survived by her beloved sister in laws, Rosanne Brogno, Stevensville, Ml and Mary Ross, Dallas, TX and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins
and friends.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her loving sisters, Kathryn Banks and Josephine Brogno, her brother, August Brogno, Jr. and brother-in-law, Frank Banks.

The family would like to thank Brethren Village for the excellent care our mother received over the past eight years. A special thanks to the staff of Harvest Way North in The Courtyards for the loving care they gave to our mother.

Sadly, due to COVID concerns, a Mass of Christian Burial, celebrated at St John Neumann Catholic Church, Lancaster and interment at Economy Cemetery, Ambridge, PA, will be private. Live streaming of the Mass will begin at 10:30AM, Thursday, November 19, 2020, and will be available by visiting the church’s website at https://www.sjnlancaster.org/. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Brethren Village Benevolent Fund, 3001 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543.