Joseph Raymond Ross

May 17, 1932 - March 15, 2021

Rev. Joseph Raymond Ross, 88, of Kannapolis, NC, crossed over the Jordan River into Heaven on Monday, March 15, 2021, after only a few hours at the Tucker Hospice House and a couple days of serious health decline. Rev. Ross was born on May 17, 1932 in Grayson County, VA. He was a son of the late Joseph Alexander Ross and Mattie Lora Cleary Ross and was one of eight children. In addition to his parents, Raymond was preceded in death by three brothers and three sisters. Rev. Ross is survived by his daughter, Sharon Willis and husband, Howard, of Kannapolis; son, Brian Ross, and wife, Kathy, of Concord; sister, Loree Smith, of Salisbury; six grandchildren, Ashleigh McIntosh, Meghan Dean (Marcus), Hunter Willis (Dakotah), Brittany Ross, Scott Ross (Amanda) and Amanda Jean Ross; and six great-grandchildren, Isabella Dean, Anderson Dean, Malone McIntosh, Ella Ross, Cole Ross and Eli Ross. As a life-long pastor, Rev. Ross illustrated love and compassion, as Jesus taught. From the mountains of Virginia, he had a natural love for gospel blue-grass music. He loved to minister through preaching, praying, gospel singing and playing the banjo and various guitars. He was most admired for his banjo “picking.” For many years, he traveled across the state sharing his talents with others at churches, nursing homes, and the homes of those unable to attend church. For work, he was a supervisor in the towel cutting room of Fieldcrest Cannon. He enjoyed having a barn and horses, building homes, eating at the “Fish Camp.” A celebration of life service is scheduled for 3:00 pm Thursday, March 18, 2021, at Sunrise Freewill Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at 2:30 pm, prior to the service. Interment will follow at the church cemetery. Special thanks to his “angels”: Dr. Angela Barnes and Nurses: Crystal Deel, RN; and Angela “Angel” Pender.