Arnold James Gross

Arnold James Gross, 88, of Franklin, Tennessee, passed peacefully into the presence of his beloved Jesus on January 19, 2025.

Arnold was born in Beebe River, New Hampshire, to Arnold Clifford and Alexcina Marian Gross on January 17, 1937. He worked with a lovely young lady at a Howard Johnson restaurant during the summer tourist season; she waited tables and he worked the grill where he learned to make the greatest eggs ever. He went on to marry her, his lifelong sweetheart Laura Love MacNeill, on June 14th, 1958, in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Two boys, Peter and Paul, arrived during the next four years.

Arnold received his Bachelor’s degree from Plymouth State College and his Master’s degree from Hunter College in New York City. Afterwards, he worked as an educator in Westchester County, NY, teaching social studies to middle and high school students. A teacher’s life allowed Arnold and Laura to take their boys, and various cousins and grandparents, on westward jaunts to visit numerous state and national parks, resulting in hilarious stories told around every holiday table involving bugs in tents and coconut donuts.

Arnold took advantage of an early retirement offer and Laura followed suit shortly thereafter. At that point, they set off on more adventures. They traveled to Maine every year to see the leaves change and to sit beside the Atlantic coast. Their travel expanded to far-flung places: Hawaii, France, Scotland, Italy, Prague, Switzerland, and England. 

In 1999, they left New York and settled in Franklin, Tennessee, where they became members of Clearview Baptist Church, involving themselves in many ministries: Room in the Inn, shut-in visitation, and disaster relief including serving first responders at Ground Zero during 9/11. 

Their great joys were their close and loving partnership with one another and their ever-expanding family.

Arnold is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Arthur. He is survived by his wife Laura, his sons Peter (Judy) Gross and Paul (Kari) Gross, as well as his four grandchildren, Bethany (Jeff) Eason, David (Carrie) Gross, Sarah (Philip) Heelan, and Benjamin (Natalie) Gross, sisters Dorothy West and Janet Smith, great-grandchildren James Eason, Miles Gross, Isaac Heelan, Christopher Heelan, Kodiak Gross, and Luna Gross.

Visitation will be at 1:00 and a memorial service at 2:00 on Saturday, January 25, in the Clearview Baptist Church’s Norman Chapel in Franklin, Tennessee.