Discussion: Don Ross

More sad news about a Canadian orienteer no longer with us. I learned today that Don Ross died in the hospital on Wednesday. Don was TOC's principal course setter for major events since I started orienteering and we travelled together to many events, including some as rogaine partners.

This one was not sudden. When I spoke to Don on the phone last Tuesday, I could hear that he was short of breath just from talking on the phone. A year ago we had planned a hiking trip in Utah during the spring, but Don bowed out due to his health situation.

Don was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma a few years ago, for which he received a round of treatments, with the indication that he would require additional rounds of treatments every several years. Then at least year's Ontario championships, he said he was having difficulty with any uphill and learned on then seeing his doctor that his condition had worsened.

Don had visited me on the August long weekend to do a regional heritage driving tour - kind of like a trivia O in a car, with some short walks (at the southeastern end of Georgian Bay, one of Ontario's most historic areas). It was an event where Don could navigate at a time he was unable to actively participate in O events. Don did the short walks other than one up a steep hill to Martyrs' Shrine. When we spoke on the phone last week, he told me it had been good timing because he would have been too weak to do the driving tour any weekend after that.

A particular problem Don was having more recently was a very heavy fluid build up in his lungs, and it sounded as though it should have been drained before it was. He said that when he was in the hospital before we talked, he had some dozens of doctors coming by to find out about his condition.

Information about funeral service and visitation in Burlington next Saturday:
http://smithsfh.com/book-of-memories/3623443/Ross-...

Very sad news. Thank you for letting us know.

Thanks for sharing Ralph. Sad indeed.

Thanks Ralph. Don will be greatly missed.

Thanks, Ralph. Don was an institution in the Ontario orienteering community. We'll miss him.

We got to quite a few Canadian O' Champs. Always enjoyed a pleasant chat and update with Don. Sad.

Eugene Mlynczyk wrote a lovely tribute to Don with input from Raymond Chung and Svatka Hermanek.
https://www.facebook.com/OrienteeringOntario/posts...

Thank you Eugene, Raymond and Svatka for putting that together. I didn't know Don well, but have certainly seen him at events through the years. It was nice to read about his life accomplishments and hear some stories from your memories.

Condolences can be written for his family here.
http://smithsfh.com/book-of-memories/3623443/Ross-...

Sorry to hear about another Canadian orienteer. He was great competition during the years. RIP