Samuel Thomas Ross, 94 , of 240 Lions Hill Road, State College, PA 16803 died on March 16, 2013 at The Fairways at Brookline. Even though he lived in Village at Penn State since the first year it was built, The Village at Perm State could not provide a room for him at its Atrium.
Born April 25, 1918 at Pine Grove Mills, he was a son of the late Charles M. and Fay Ross. On November 28, 1942 he married Willow J. Lowery who died October 2, 1968.
In Kobe, Japan, on May 21, 1971 he married Dr. Keiko Miwa, who survives.
Also surviving are his children of his first marriage: Patricia C. Harman of Thousand Oaks, CA, and Thomas R. Ross of Washington, D.C., four sisters: Sara Nix of Sarasota, FLA, Helen Dunkle of Clifton Park, N.Y., Pricilla Dean of Morrow, GA, Ruth Kelly of Everson, WA, along with two grandchildren, and three great grand children.
He grew up on his parents' farm in Linden Hall, PA, attended the one-room Linden Hall Grade School, graduated from Harris Township Vocational High School in 1934, and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commercial Chemistry from Perm State in 1940.
Upon graduation he started working at Celanese Corporation's plant at Cumberland, Maryland. In 1944 he transferred to a new petrochemical plant being built in Bishop, Texas and held various production management positions until 1956, and then he moved to a new polyethylene plant in Baytown, Texas as its Production Manager. In 1959 he relocated to Celanese Chemical Company's Synthetic Lubricants and Plasticizers Plant at Gallipolis Ferry, West Virginia as its Plant Manager. In 1963 he advanced to Newark, New Jersey as Manufacturing Manager of Celanese Polymer Company.
In 1969 he became the Celanese Company's resident representative on the Board of Directors in a Joint venture company with Japan's Daicel Ltd. in Osaka, Japan to produce polyacetal plastic resin in a new plant at Fuji, Japan.
He returned from this position in January 1977 to Celanese Corporate Office in New York City as Corporate Manager of Equipment Reliability, from which he retired in 1978.
He traveled extensively during his career, visiting all 50states, Mexico, Central America, Africa, Canada, Europe and Asia. He was an avid reader, crossword puzzle solver, and bridge player. Walking and a keen interest in news, politics and business activities were his daily activities to stay as physically and mentally alert as possible.
Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton Street, State College, PA 16801. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be made at www.kochfuneralhome.com.