Lasting Memories

Dorothy Ann Ross
March 1, 1926-Jan. 17, 2018
Palo Alto, California

Dorothy Ann “Dot” Bauer Ross passed away peacefully on January 17, 2018 in Palo Alto. She was 91 years old. She is survived by her daughters and their husbands, Nancy Ross Ryde and Magnus Ryde of Atherton, CA; Carolyn Ross and Don “Chip” Hill of Leesburg, VA; two grandchildren, Nancy Hill of Seattle, WA and Erik Ryde of Boston, MA; her younger brother, Dr. Richard Bauer of Glendale, AZ; and countless friends and extended family members. Her husband of 53 years, Harry Robert “Barney” Ross and her older brother, Carl Elmer Bauer predeceased her. Dot was born in Los Angeles on March 1, 1926 to Anna Louise Geib Bauer and Elmer Lawrence Bauer. She graduated from Compton High School in 1944 and from Occidental College in 1948. She taught 2nd and 3rd grades at La Canada Elementary School for two years. In 1950, she enrolled in the USC Graduate School of Management, receiving her MBA in Finance in 1952, the first woman to receive this distinction from USC. Following graduation, she worked at Standard Oil for a year, and left to teach school at the American School on the Army base in Giessen, Germany. There she met the love of her life, Barney, a captain in the Army. They were married at her parents’ home in Glendale, CA on a beautiful December day in 1955, and then returned to Germany. The Army relocated them to northern Virginia in 1957. Following the birth of their daughters, the family returned to Germany, and subsequently back to Virginia where they remained until 1965 when Barney was transferred to Viet Nam. The family moved to La Canada, CA to be close to Dot’s family. Upon Barney’s return in 1967, the family moved to The Presidio of San Francisco. Dot and Barney fell in love with the Bay Area and remained there, residing in San Francisco, Portola Valley; Atherton; Menlo Park and Palo Alto. Dot was a lifelong learner, volunteer and explorer. She took advantage of every opportunity to travel to different places, touring Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Mexico and almost all of the United States. She was a docent for the Stanford Museum of Art, the San Francisco MOMA and the De Young Museum’s African collection. Dot volunteered for the PTA’s of all her daughters’ schools as well as their Girl Scout troops. As a member of the Allied Arts Auxiliary, she worked in the Traditional Shop and on Tally Ho. Learning the love of flowers from her mother, Dot took flower arranging courses and was active in several garden clubs. In the 1970’s she became certified to teach English as a Second Language through a volunteer program. She later renewed her teaching credential and began a second career as a substitute teacher. Always interested in investing, she spent many happy hours with her friends in the Tape Watchers investment club. Dot loved to entertain, and was always thrilled to house, feed, and chat with friends, both old and new who were treated like family. She will be remembered for her elegance, inquisitive mind, gracious and welcoming hospitality, and her adventurous spirit.