Ross Whitehead- a Good Friend to Everyone

[Larry]

One very good thing about our great hobby is the wonderful people you meet along the way... many of us spanning a large section of our lives. One bad thing, is having to say good-bye to some of these friends as time passes.

One such good friend- to all who he met- was Ross Whitehead. If ever there was one person who could wear the title of liking everyone he met, and all those enjoying his smile and kindness in return, it was Ross. He will be missed by many. RIP

The following is a short summery of Ross' very full life from his friends in his Arizona Pontiac Club.

Remembering Ross N. Whitehead
The Arizona Chapter POCI is sad to report the loss of our club’s co- founder, Ross Whitehead. Ross, along with Bill Schoening, founded our statewide chapter in 1981. He was known as a dedicated and active member of both the Pontiac Club and the Southern Arizona Region of the Contemporary Historical Vehicle Association (SARCHA). Born in Riverton, Iowa on February 18, 1937, Ross always held a strong interest in all things automotive. His love for cars saw his diverse fleet of vehicles grow over the years to include a blue 1963 Catalina sedan, a black 1948 Pontiac 4-door Streamliner, and his pride-and-joy brown 1949 Pontiac
Chieftain Woodie.

His Woodie held a track speed record (for a vintage Straight Eight) at the now-defunct Bee Line Raceway. It was also featured as actor Bruce Dern’s ride in the 1987 postapocalyptic film “World Gone Wild.” Ross originally suffered a stroke while in the U.S. Air Force in 1969, but fortunately recovered most of his function. He retired from the military at that time, having reached the rank of Staff Sergeant E-5.

In early 2014, Ross suffered a second, more debilitating stroke and soon received care within a Veteran’s Administration recovery unit and later at various nursing facilities and VA units in both Tucson and Phoenix. Up until the very end, he was receiving personal care, visits and attention from his three very dedicated daughters, JoAnn, Lou Ann and Sandra. He is survived by his exwife, Maria (in Phoenix), but is preceded in death by his second wife, Nell (of Tucson).

Ross died quietly in his sleep on December 27, 2016 from respiratory failure at the age of 79. As per his wishes, his remains are being cremated. The family will be holding a small service at the Veteran’s Cemetery on Friday, February 17th at 2:00pm when his ashes will be interred with full military honors at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona 23029 N. Cave Creek Road Phoenix, AZ 85024