Jane Elizabeth (DeLucia) Ross

On Tuesday November 3, 2020 Jane Elizabeth DeLucia Ross passed away peacefully after a brief bout with cancer.

Jane was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the daughter of a well known Boardman masonry contracting family, Pat and Stella Rossi DeLucia.

Jane was very active in local musical endeavors throughout her life.  She sang in the Youngstown Symphony Chorus, Saxon Club Chorus, Youngstown Sheet and Tube Choir, the Arion Chorus where she also served as President for four years, and was a 25 year member of St. Christine’s Catholic Church Choir.  She was also a piano accompanist on several occasions for The Youngstown Songwriters Guild, accompanying her late sister, Olivette Jackanich, who was a songwriter and guitarist.  She was also a member of and an active hostess for Monday Musical Club for many years at Stambaugh Auditorium.

A piano and voice major, she studied at both Youngstown State University’s Dana School of Music, and briefly at The Pittsburgh Conservatory of Music in the 1940’s while her husband Nicholas was a graduate fellow in Engineering and Physics at The University of Pittsburgh.  While at Dana, in 1944, Jane met the love of her life, the late Nicholas V. Ross, a prominent internationally known engineer who patented the Ross Coil, The Galvanneal Method, and many other inventions dealing with the heat treatment of steel, and the annealing of copper and aluminum. Jane and Nick were wed at St. Charles Catholic Church in Boardman, Ohio and enjoyed 56 years of marriage.

In addition to her musical interests, Jane often accompanied her husband on international travel and together they visited nearly all 50 states, as well as Japan, South America, Russia, Europe, Mexico and Canada on multiple occasions. 

A trip to Italy where she and her husband had a private audience with Pope Paul VI was a special memory for Jane throughout her life.

An active member of St. Christine’s Catholic Church since it’s founding in the 1950’s, Jane organized numerous bus trips to Ohio’s Catholic Shrines for church members in the 1970’s and 80’s.  She was also very active with the church festivals in the 1960’s and 1970’s, often baking 25 cakes herself for the festival cake booth each Summer.  Jane also organized numerous outdoor masses and luncheons for St. Christine bible study groups in the 1970’s at her beautiful Boardman home, which bordered Lake Newport and Mill Creek Park.

Jane was a wonderful cook and baker and instilled a love of cooking traditional Italian recipes in her daughters, particularly heirloom recipes such as Ostia Agnone, manicotti shells (made one by one in a crepe pan, completely from scratch,) Easter bread, ricotta pies, and biscotti.  Janes cooking repertoire was vast as Jane frequently entertained her husband’s business clients at their home preparing Italian American dishes as well as a special entrée  from each international client’s native land.

Jane was a member of the Youngstown State University Alumni Club, Mercedes Benz Club of the Western Reserve, Northeast Ohio Porsche Club, St. Christine’s Catholic Church and it’s Altar and Rosary Society.

Many dear friends were the beneficiaries of Jane’s friendship, her beautiful little love notes, and letters, special birthday notes where she identified her friends fine qualities by the letters in their names, and her kind but firm “pep talks”.  Jane frequently lectured those around her about not being afraid of life and facing everything with a smile.

Jane leaves a daughter, Stella Marie Ross Camuso, of Canfield, with whom she made her home.  Also surviving are Jane’s granddaughter Melinda Leah Ross Rappach (Atty. Christopher), and two greatgrandchildren, Lilia and Tyler Rappach, all of Canfield.  She also leaves special nephews Dr. Paul Jackanich (Jodi) in Lake Milton, and Patrick Jackanich, Houston, Texas, who despite distance, visited her regularly, and many more very special nieces and nephews in  Michigan, and Columbus, as well as Boardman, Youngstown, Warren, Newton Falls and Niles areas.

Jane was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Nicholas V. Ross, a son, Nicholas V. Ross III, a daughter, Viola Marie Ross, and her daughter’s husband, John M. Camuso.  She was also preceded in death by her sister, Olivette Jackanich, a brother, Clement DeLucia, and his wife Mary Naomi Marsco DeLucia.

Jane also leaves many dear friends, including her daughter Stella’s many girlfriends and their spouses who frequented the family’s Canfield home for many patio parties, dinners, coffee klatches, Dominoes nights, and “girls nights.”  Jane often said living with her daughter the last 14 years of her life enabled her to have all of Stella’s girlfriends as her own girlfriends, too.  Jane always reminded “the girls” to stay out of the sun, cream their faces, put on lipstick and smile!  Jane was known for her peaches and cream complexion and practicing what she preached!  Jane bragged to everyone that her daughter Stella did her hair and makeup every day and made her feel beautiful as is evidenced by the photo above which was taken at her home 4 weeks prior to her passing during a dinner party with dear lifelong friends.

Due to the COVID pandemic, calling hours, the service and mercy dinner at Tippecanoe Country Club, were private for close family and friends.  Fr. Edward P.  Noga performed the service and committal prayers and entombment took place immediately afterward at the Sacred Heart of Mary Mausoleum in Resurrection Cemetery where Jane was laid to rest with her husband, daughter, son, and her daughter’s husband.

All arrangements were handled by Fox Funeral Home 4700 Market St. Boardman, Ohio.

Family and friends may visit www.foxfuneralhome.org to view this obituary and send condolences.

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