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Mostly Cloudy Former Rockville Centre resident, U.S. Army veteran Michael Edward Gross, 81
St. Agnes High School alum Michael Edward Gross died on Jan. 21 at the Yale Haven Hospital in Connecticut. He was 81.
Gross was born on May 20, 1940, in Valley Stream, the son of the late Edward and Agnes (Wolf) Gross. He graduated from St. Agnes Cathedral High School in Rockville Centre in 1958 and Hofstra University in 1962.
After college, Gross served in the U.S. Army. On June 3, 1962, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant with the Army Transportation Corps and soon after completed the transportation training, which led to him being the supply officer for the 524 Light Helicopter Maintenance Company in Hanau, Germany. In August 1963, he was transferred to be the supply and vehicle maintenance officer at the headquarters of the Seventh Army Transportation Group in Ludwigsburg, Germany.
On April 17, 1964, Gross was promoted to first lieutenant to serve as the acting HQ company commanding officer on a periodic basis. He attended the U.S. Army Flight School, Fixed-Wing Class for a short period before his honorable discharge on June 30, 1965. Gross was a strong patriot and proud veteran.
He married his beloved wife, Elizabeth Jane Coffey, in 1968. The couple moved to East Haddam, Conn., where they made their home. Gross was a member of the East Haddam Republican Town Committee for more than 50 years. Gross retired from Traveler’s Insurance in 1992 after a 23-year career as a manager. He then went on to work for himself in a home improvement business, finally retiring completely in the early 2000s. He will be remembered fondly as a hardworking man who was devoted to his family, country and community.
In addition to Elizabeth, Gross is survived by his son, Matthew Gross, his daughter-in-law Kanae Haneishi, of Valley City, N.D.; his grandchildren, Koji, Niko, and Sora Gross; his nieces, Karen Wuebber and Eileen Uberti; his nephews, William Brennan and James Brennan; and numerous extended family and friends.
A celebration of Gross’s life is scheduled for June 10, 2022, at 11 a.m., with a Mass of Christian burial at St. Bridget of Kildare Church, 75 Leesville Road, Moodus, CT. Burial will be private in the State Veteran’s Cemetery in Middletown. The Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester has been entrusted with care of arrangements.
