Richard Spangler Ross

Richard Spangler Ross, age 84, of Thomson, IL, passed away at Genesis East Hospital in Davenport, IA on September 30, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 5, at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Thomson. Visitation will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday, October 4, as well as one hour prior to Saturday’s service. Burial will follow at Lower York Cemetery, in Thomson. A party in Rich’s honor will be held at Manny’s in Savanna after the burial.

Rich was born July 26, 1940, in Chicago, IL, the son of Richard and Eleanor (Grey) Ross. He attended Villa Park Elementary and York High School, where he met his future wife, Joyce Goff. They began dating when they were 15 years old, marrying on April 29, 1957. The young couple started their family and bought a house in the same neighborhood in Villa Park, where Joyce’s parents lived. There were many fun family gatherings in those times. After a number of years, he and Joyce moved to Thomson where they settled into a beautiful life together. They loved their new community and became lifelong members of the Argo Fay Church.

Rich worked for Warning Lights in Villa Park for many years, before becoming a member of the Local 150 Operating Engineers; receiving a gold card for more than 50 years of service. He always enjoyed working with all those union guys, and he got the biggest kick out of starting silly rumors with coworkers… “if you haven’t heard a rumor by 9:30, start one,” he used to joke.

Rich’s big passion in life was stock car racing. The interest started at the age of 16, when Joyce’s father introduced him to the sport. He competed in many races over the decades, including several Chicago-area tracks. He later shared his love of the sport with his own sons. Rich and Joe later became partners in 1988 and remained to the day he died. He was quite the marketer, always on the phone with his vast network of racing buddies, many of whom, became lifelong friends. All those who knew Rich, knew he could make a friend out of anyone he met.

Another passion of his was the farm life. He and Joyce had dreamed of a farm since their teenage years, and they took pride in working it together. Seeing the direct fruits of their labor (raising animals and growing the vegetables) provide for their family, brought so much joy to the both of them.

When he wasn’t working, he was regularly on the hunt for his “treasures”. He’d find good deals on all sorts of things and materials, whether it be sheet metal from an old barn, or an antique from Chicago. He and his boys would drive all over chasing parts and collecting those treasures for Rich. He may not have known exactly what they’d be used for right now, but darn it, someday he would!

Rich’s joking demeanor and loving attitude will be dearly missed by his family. He is survived by two sons, James (Rhonda) Ross, of Savanna and Joseph (Teresa) Ross, of Thomson; daughter, Jean “Nurse Rachett” (Kenny) LaShelle, of Thomson; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; brother, Randy Ross, of Edgewater, FL; two sisters, Emmy Lou Kuntz and Eleanor Janicek, both of Edgewater, FL; life-long friends, Joe and Barb Ott and Alice Bezik. Rich is preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Eleanor; wife of nearly 67 years, Joyce; and brother, Frank Ross.