Remembering Joe Gross

Joe Gross, Vice President of Gross Electric, Toledo, OH, passed away last month.

Gross is the Toledo area’s oldest electrical distributor / lighting showroom and has been in business for 110 years.

According to the obituary published in the Toledo Blade and shared by the company:

Joe began his career in the electrical industry sweeping the floors at Gross Electric as a kid. He worked in the warehouse through high school, then moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL for several years returning to Gross Electric in 1982 to manage their Lima store until 1986. He then transferred back to Toledo expanding the outside electrical sales division until 1997 when he became vice-president. Joe was instrumental in making Gross Electric the premier family owned electrical supply distributor in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. It was also through his efforts that the company branched into the safety supply business in 2016, creating the G&G Safety Supply store.

Joseph Alexander Gross, age 60, passed away Wednesday, June 3, 2020. Joe was born August 19, 1959, in Toledo, OH to Richard and Marion Gross. He was a 1977 graduate of Ottawa Hills High School and attended The Ohio State University.

Joe met his wife, Cary, 29 years ago at his 30th birthday party at Cedar Point. It was love at first sight. Their love continued through the birth of their three kids, Andrew, Emily and Jason. Joe’s life was centered around family, friends and adventure. Joe was his kids’ biggest fan; never having missed a tennis match, football game, or a hockey game. He always put his family first, including his family at Gross Electric. It was a life mission for Joe to be present with everyone he met, giving his family, friends, employees and customers his undivided attention. Joe touched countless lives.

When Joe wasn’t on the Sylvania Country Club golf course with his longtime buddies, he was either popping a hull on his Hobie 16 with anyone willing to sail with him or picking out articles from the Wall Street Journal to share with family and friends, all while listening to music of course. Joe loved to travel, especially near the ocean, and was never one to sit still, always seeking out kiteboarding, zip lining, skydiving and white water rafting whenever he could.

Joe was committed to giving back to the Toledo community. He spearheaded the donation of smoke detectors by Gross Electric to the City of Toledo Fire Dept. for many years. He volunteered his personal time to Meals on Wheels and participated in the Thanksgiving Day parade Clown Corps.

Joe is survived by his loving wife Cary and his children Andrew, Emily, Jason and Poncho his beloved German Shepherd; his sisters Laurie Gross, Polly Collins (Dave Stroeh) and Marcia Miller. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Contributions in Joe’s memory may be made to Mobile Meals, 2200 Jefferson Ave. Toledo, OH 43604, MemoryLane Care Services, 2500 N. Reynolds Rd. Toledo, OH 43615 or the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio, 1002 Garden Lake Pkwy. Toledo, OH 43614

Remembrances can be shared here or you can contact Laurie Gross, President of Gross Electric, and Joe’s sister, via LinkedIn.

Joe was a follower of ElectricalTrends. Our condolences to the family and the Gross Electric staff.