Daniel James Gross, 72, The Rock That Held His Family Together

Daniel was the rock that held his family together. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother whose presence provided strength, stability, and love to those around him. He was the person his family could count on, and bringing everyone together was one of the greatest joys of his life. His love for his family was at the center of everything he did.

Daniel shared nearly 50 years of marriage with his beloved wife, Janet Gross (née Nowak). Together, they built a life filled with family, memories, and love, and would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this December.

He was a proud father to four children: Daniel Gross Jr. (Azur) of Lorain; Bob Gross (Hadley) of Rocky Mount, North Carolina; Doug Gross (Sara) of Amherst; and Jenni Stoiber (Ryan) of Put-in-Bay. His six grandchildren, Ben, Reid, Sophia, Simmons, Skyler, and Lake, brought him tremendous joy, and he loved each of them dearly.

Daniel was the oldest of eight siblings. He is survived by his seven siblings: Guy (Donna Dobos) Gross of Wakeman, Gary (Lori) Gross of Vermilion, William “Bill” (Denise) Gross of Vermilion, Debra Levit of Vermilion, Martha (Jim) Taylor of Amherst, Beverly Minnich (Jim Zvosecz) of Amherst, and Pamela Pierce of Vermilion. He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara and Jim Gross.

Daniel spent much of his childhood and adult life working at Gross Plumbing, dedicating many years to the family business. He also proudly served his community for 20 years as a member of the Amherst Volunteer Fire Department, giving his time to help and protect others.

In his later years, Daniel served as the Lorain County Facilities Director, a position he never really considered a job. He genuinely enjoyed what he did, and it was simply another part of his life that brought him purpose and fulfillment.

Outside of work and his community service, Daniel had a lifelong love of flying and enjoyed piloting his own small plane. He was also passionate about collecting cars and especially loved hosting family cookouts. Those gatherings, surrounded by the people he loved, sharing food, laughter, and stories, were among the moments he treasured most.

Daniel leaves behind a legacy of hard work, service, and, above all, family. He will be remembered as the man who held everyone together, the husband who shared nearly five decades of life with his wife, the father who was always there, and the grandfather who cherished his grandchildren. Though his presence will be deeply missed, the memories, love, and family he built will carry on for generations. He will forever be loved and missed.

The family will be holding a private service. A celebration of Daniel’s life will be announced at a later date.

Arrangements are by the Richard J. Reidy Funeral Home, 1783 East 31st Street, South Lorain, Ohio 44055. For expressions of sympathy and further information, please visit Reidyfuneral.com.