LAKELAND, Fla. - Ross Lowell Montzingo, 73, died April 7, 2011 due to heart failure.

Ross was born in Lincoln, Neb., then moved to Virginia, to Texas, and then Florida where he began his own window cleaning business. Growing up in Virginia, graduating Class of '56 of Cradock High School with his good buddies, Ceal Bodd, Gary Lawrence, John Wood, who have remained friends up until his passing.

He was a true Christian and believed in his Lord. He was a member of the NRA and Republican Party. He served in the U. S. Coast Guard. His hobbies were gardening and playing tennis.

He is survived by his son, Brett; his two daughters, Heather and Debbie; and his grandson, Gabrial. Condolences may be made to the family at www.heathfuneralchapel.com.

Published in The Virginian Pilot on April 12, 2011

Ross and I played on the Cradock High School tennis team and in band for three years.  Often we walked to school together from Cradock Gardens with Carl Hester, another tennis player.
  

He was driven to succeed in all that he attempted as a youngster.  He was Cradock’s best tennis player for a generation, and one of the top Junior players in the Hampton Roads area during the fifties. His dad made certain that Ross competed in all of the Junior Tennis events and he won several of them.  I remember several newspaper articles touting Ross as the preeminent local tennis player.
 

After high school Ross was on the fast track to success as a general manager of several local pharmacies at a young age.  He was determined to be a financial success.

I visited with him at his 50th class reunion and we maintained phone contact for a few years when he was in Florida.  He was a good friend when we were youngsters.  I admired his abilities. I mourn his death. 

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