Thomas Ross 1930-2018

Tom Ross, a resident of Bishop and a former resident of Independence, Inyo County, died on December 2, 2018, peacefully in his sleep after a long illness.

The son of Scottish immigrants, Fernie and Helene Ross, was a few months shy of his 89th birthday.

A noted mountaineer, Tom made over 3,500 ascents, including at least 320 first ascents, climbing mountains in North America, including Alaska, Canada, and Mexico.

He particularly enjoyed backpacking the Sierra Nevada Mountains in winter on snow shoes and skiing down to Owens Valley.

He moved to Inyo County in the 1950s after a tour in the US Army where he met his beloved wife, the former Nancy Candace Slater, universally known throughout Inyo County as Candy.

Together, they published a book on the Sierra Nevada Mountains, using her prose and Tom’s photographs to enrich their readers with love for the mountains and Inyo County.

Tom’s photographs were also used in other books on California’s geology and history and some are on display at the Inyo County Museum. In honor of Tom’s achievements, Mount Tom Ross near Mammoth Mountain was named after him.

A devoted Christian, a memorial service will be held for Tom at 11:00 AM on January 9, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church in Bishop, followed by a burial in Independence. He is survived by his cousins Mike and Allan Slater and Sally Ashe.

 

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