Stanford Gross

Stanford A. Gross, 88, passed away on September 8th, 22 days since first learning that he had esophageal cancer. While Stan’s life was full of joys and achievements (see below), when asked what his proudest accomplishment was, he said with a smile “raising three beautiful daughters.” Stan is survived by daughters Sheryl Erskine, Jane Gross, and Susan Gross Pollara; grandchildren Ryan, Shanna, Brianna, Ben, and Max; and great granddaughter Stella; sons-in-law Jack and Nick, former wives Ann (Silberman) and Marcia (Speizman); brother Paul (Anita), and nephews Barry, Jeff, Michael, and Todd - all of whom are heartbroken at the sudden loss of such a vibrant and caring man. The family is deeply grateful for the love and care that Phyllis Bergman, his partner of 16 years, brought to his life. Stan was born in 1933 in Wilmington, Delaware. Originally a high school teacher and football coach, Stan gained professional success as a sales and marketing executive for industrial equipment. Much to the delight of his children, their home in Elkins Park was filled with hard hats, rainwear, and safety goggles - all of which made excellent halloween costumes. He enthralled his daughters’ elementary school classes when he demonstrated the importance of wearing a hard hat by placing an egg under a baseball hat and an egg under a hard hat. Then he dropped a brick on each hat. The classes squealed in delight at the dramatic results. (Thoughtfully, the hats were placed on the floor, not the teacher's head.) He was deeply committed to civic engagement and community participation. He served as Trustee, Abington Free Library (1984-1987), Abington Township Commissioner (1995 - 2006) and President, Board of Commissioners (2005-2006). Thanks to the work of Stan, you can safely make a left turn with a green arrow from Cedar Road onto Fox Chase Road. A patent-holding inventor, a lover of Civil War and WWII history, a voracious reader, an avid and often frustrated golfer, and a brilliant teller of inappropriate jokes, Stan hosted a Tuesday night poker game for over 16 years. He could, and would, belt out show tunes spontaneously. And, he never forgot a name. In the last decade of his life, Stan found fulfillment and built a wonderful community of friends and clients as a local driver, ensuring his clients arrived "on-time, anytime," and showing us all that we are never too old to take on new roles, to help others, and to make new friends. Funeral Services will be Tuesday September 13th at 12 o’clock at Roosevelt Mausoleum, with gravesite interment to follow. MASKS REQUIRED. Shiva will be 6-8 pm Tuesday evening at Philmont County Club: , 6-8 pm Wednesday evening at Rodelph Shalom, and observed via Zoom on Thursday. Contributions in his honor can be made to The Abington Free Library.