Walter Joseph Gross

walter gross

March 31, 1956 ~ August 13, 2018


Resided in: Mills River, North Carolina

Walter Joseph Gross Mills River, NC ~ Walter Joseph Gross, 62 of Mills River, died Monday, August 13, 2018 at Memorial Campus of Mission Hospitals. A native of Nassau Co., NY, he was a son of Walter and Rosemary Shannon Gross. Walter grew up in Bethpage, NY and began his career as a Mechanic/Service Manager for Sears Automotive where he met his wife Denise in 1976. The were married in October 1983. He received an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1983 and began work as a Numerical Control Programmer for Grumman Aerospace where he remained for 11 years. He continued that work at Boeing Aerospace for two years. In 1996 he moved to Hanover, PA and began working with Direct Brands (Double Day Book Clubs) as Sr. V.P. - Fulfillment Services, where he remained until 2010. Since then, he has lived in Mills River, NC working as V.P. - Fulfillment Operations for OceanX. In the 80’s and 90’s, Walter enjoyed attending and competing in dog shows with his Rottweilers; during those years many close friendships were made. Walter’s true passion was doing work around his home; no project was too large or too complicated for him to tackle. He was always innovative and creative in his thinking and was well-known as a meticulous planner. When time allowed, he enjoyed an occasional round of golf at High Vista. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Denise Dempsey Gross; two sisters, Claire Iannacone (Louie) of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and Margaret Gross of Wading River, NY; father and mother-in-law, Robert and Rae Dempsey; brother-in-law, John Dempsey; one nephew, Jonathan; five nieces, Rachel, Jennifer, Felicia, Heather and Patti as well as several great-nieces and nephews . A visitation will be held from 6:00-8:00 PM on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 at Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian. A private family service will be held at a later date. For those who desire, memorial contributions may be made to Kodi’s Club Rottweiler Rescue at www.kodisclub.com. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.

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  1. My deepest sympathy! I very much enjoyed working with Walter at Guthy-Renker. May your happy memories bring you comfort during this difficult time.

  2. One of the best human beings I had the pleasure of hanging out with. Condolences to Denise and rest of the family.

  3. Thoughts and prayers to Walter’s family. He was a great man to work for at Doubleday, in Hanover

  4. Our deepest condolences on your tragic loss. May your many fond memories, and the love from family and friends give you comfort.

  5. Walter was a wonderful friend and mentor to his associates. He was always available with a smile and good word. Walter was a great guy and true gift to all who worked with him. My condolences to his wife, Denise, and the rest of his family and friends.

  6. Deepest sympathies to you Denise and the family. I worked at Doubleday for Walter for many years. He was a gentleman and was very kind to me when my husband was dying of lung cancer. I am shocked to see this of his passing. May our dear Lord grant you the much needed strength to handle this difficult time in your life

  7. My sincere sympathy to the entire Gross family. Walter was a wonderful guy who will be missed. Truly a shock to learn of his passing.
    Rick Engle

  8. Denise, I remember meeting you both for the first time at CRC; I don’t think either of you ever met a stranger. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and your family.

  9. My condolences to his wife and family, I didn’t know him well but could tell he was a decent man. May he rest in perfect peace.

  10. So sorry to hear of Walters passing. Condolence to the entire family. I worked with Walter in Hanover.

  11. My uncle is someone whom I always looked up to. When I was a young boy, I was astonished at anyone or anything as tall as he was. Later on, he was a mentor to me, offering sage advice across disciplines from managing people to load-bearing walls. He was a great storyteller and I already miss him deeply. He once said to me, I am happy to say ‘One of the best people I know shares a birthday with me’ (we were both born on March 31st). The truth is, Uncle Walter, it was the other way around.
    Our deepest condolences to Aunt Denise.

  12. Our greatest sympathy goes out to Walter’s family and friends. We send up our prayers and strength to you during this difficult time. We enjoyed working with Walter and he will be sorely missed at OceanX.

  13. A great guy who will be sorely missed. He was the kind of person who got along with everyone and always made you feel welcomed. A tremendous cousin who, when we were younger, would always make sure you had fun even when he had us pushing safety boundaries. Oh the great memories. A true gentle soul.

  14. My condolences go out to Walter’s friends and family, I had the pleasure of knowing Walter for the last several years, he was a very enlightening and entertaining both in and out of the workplace. I always enjoyed Walter’s sayings or stories for every occasion, he was never at a loss for one of these. Walter will be missed.

  15. I worked with Walter for many years from across the country. He was so patient with me when my finance questions needed to be translated to operations answers. I knew I could count on Walter to make me understand. He will be missed.

  16. I’m so sorry to hear about the passing of Walter. I worked with him at Bookspan in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He was a really awesome guy. Thoughts and prayers to his family.

  17. So sorry to hear about Walter’s passing. I had the pleasure to work with Walter for the last number of years. He was a great leader who I really admired. He will be greatly missed.

  18. Walter took an interest in me and pushed me to a better individual. I will forever be grateful for what Walter did for me in my life. I would not be who I am today if not for him. My condolences to his close friends and family.

  19. Very sorry to get this news…I really enjoyed working with Walter. He was a straightfoward person and you got what you saw. He eas always very caring for all staff.

    May your family have peace of heart and mind.

  20. My thoughts and prayer to family and friends. I worked for Walter in Hanover he was always happy. Sorry for your loss

  21. Denise my heart went out to you when l was told of Big Walt’s passing. The Angel’s received a wondeful man.


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