Earl M. Gross, 72, of Haverhill, passed away Thursday, April 14 at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston.
Born to Ida and Herman Gross, Gross grew up in Philadelphia along with his sister Janice. He graduated from Olney High School in 1963 and attended Peirce College of Philadelphia. Between trips “down the shore” working in restaurants and hotels in Atlantic City, he met his first wife, Susan and they had Barbara. The marriage came to an end as Gross began his career with Sears Cleaning. He was promoted to a managerial position around the same time he met his second wife, Ethy. A successful manager, he was transferred to Baltimore to work with departments struggling with desegregation and other issues as he was able to unify a diverse workforce. He was then transferred to Chelmsford, with his reluctant pregnant wife, who soon gave birth to Shari. Gross embarked on yet another adventure, starting his own cleaning company but soon suffered a heart attack, and sadly was forced to give up the business to focus on his recovery. Not long after his second marriage ended, he won a battle with melanoma.
He met third wife, Diane, in 2004 and married in 2007. Mere months after they wed, Gross began suffering from congestive heart failure, and was put on the organ transplant list. His health forced him into retirement from his job at Kronos in 2008. He miraculously received a heart and kidney transplant in 2009, made a full recovery and resumed his life as a father, brother, cousin and husband. He became engaged in politics and led the “Let’s Talk” current events group at NECC. Due to the immunosuppressant medications to maintain his organ transplants, he began having numerous skin cancers but never let it get to him or interrupt his determination to enjoy every moment of his new lease on life, but the cancers became more aggressive and in May, 2015, he underwent a parotidectomy and radiation. In December, 2015, upon his return from Nevada to see grandson Caden, stepdaughter Rachel and husband Bryan, he was hospitalized with pneumonia for three weeks. The months that followed were met with pain and strife, having been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer that had metastasized in his bones, resulting in great pain. He continued to fight recurring pneumonias and long hospital stays, until he could fight no longer. He is remembered lovingly for his wit and humor, and the unapologetic way he fought for what and who he loved and believed in. He lives on through his beautiful daughters, Shari Gross and Barbara Cohen, step-children Rachel Lundman, Jeff Isenberg, Andrew and Jason Pollack, his sister Janice Gross, and wife Diane Zold-Gross.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral service Tuesday, April 19, at 11 a.m. at Temple Emanuel, 7 Haggetts Pond Rd., Andover, MA 01810. Burial will be private and at the convenience of his family. Arrangements are by H.L. Farmer and Sons Funeral Homes of Haverhill and Bradford.