Oct. 21, 1921 - Sept. 1, 2005
Dr. Lorne Edward Ross passed away at 100 Mile House, B.C. September 01, 2005. Lorne was born on October 21, 1921 in Montreal, PQ, the son of Norman E. Ross and Elizabeth P. Ross. He attended Montreal High School and Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University). Affectionately known as’ Snapper’ by his fellow servicemen, Lorne attained the rank of Captain serving in the 21st Battery, 6th Field Regiment, R.C.A. during WW II. He was awarded the Military Cross for valor at Buckingham Palace by King George the VI. During the war he met Tineke Dykstra who was nursing in Deventer, Holland. They were married overseas in 1945 and returned to Canada at war’s end. Lorne entered Queen’s University in the Faculty of Medicine, graduating in 1952 and chose to work in family medicine in rural communities. After a year in Bonneville, Alberta the family moved to Ashcroft, B.C. in 1954 where he practiced for many years. The area covered by the Ashcroft and District Hospital at that time stretched from Lillooet to Forest Grove with doctors driving to these communities to hold office hours. After a year spent assisting in surgery at Royal Inland hospital in Kamloops, Lorne then served the community of 100 Mile House at the District Hospital until his retirement in 1987. Lorne was a great lover of the outdoors, hunting birds with his ever-present Labrador retriever, fishing for steelhead in the Thompson River and halibut out of Bella Coola. He made expeditions with packhorses into the mountains to hunt big game in the Bridge River country and prospected for minerals in many areas of B.C. Lorne and a partner put a small silver mine into production at Atlin, B.C. in 1976. He was a voracious reader of military history, able to answer any question on world history and quote passages from Robert Burns. He was renowned for his dry ‘Scottish’ wit. After his retirement Lorne spent many happy hours shooting trap with friends at the 111 Mile Gun Club and traveling to shoot birds in England and Argentina. Lorne is survived by his sister Norma of Calibogie, Ontario and his four children Andrea, Ian, Norman and Deborah. Mrs. Tineke Ross passed away in 1999. Lorne’s only brother, Flight Officer Earle James Ross, was killed in service overseas during WW II.
A Celebration of Life in memory of Lorne will be held on September 10th, 2005 at The Lodge, 150 Cariboo Hwy., 100 Mile House, B.C. at 1:00 PM. Coincidentally, this is also opening day of grouse season! In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate that donations be made to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 260 Poppy Fund.
100 Mile Funeral Service Ltd. in care of arrangements. Ph: 1-877-595-3243