Obituary of Andrew Ross

Andrew Ross lived with intention.

He paid close attention to the people he loved, to the work he believed in, and to the small, particular joys that make a life worth living. As a husband, father, brother, and friend, he was steady and present. He listened. He showed up. Those in his orbit felt cared for, protected, and deeply respected.

Andrew grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City, a place that shaped his curiosity, independence, and love of culture. His path carried him from Collegiate School (NYC) to the University of Michigan, where he proudly embraced the community and spirit that would stay with him for life. He went on to earn his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia.

Andrew practiced medicine for more than twenty-five years, a calling he embraced fully and loved deeply. He moved to Colorado in 1999 for his first position out of residency, where he would build both a life and a career. He found meaning in the serenity of surgery, in the quiet concentration of precise work, and in the profound privilege of helping bring new life into the world. Obstetrics and gynecology were a natural fit, uniting steady hands, technical skill, and deep respect for the people he served. In the final five years of his career, Andrew found a true professional home at Cherry Hills Midwifery, Obstetrics, & Gynecology, where the work and the colleagues beside him felt like the perfect fit.

As an OBGYN surgeon, Andrew helped thousands of patients live safer, healthier lives. His commitment to women’s health and reproductive rights shaped not only his clinical practice but his advocacy. Through years of service with Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, including board leadership and his role as Interim Medical Director, he brought skill, conviction, and an unwavering belief in dignity and access to care.

Andrew believed in living well. He loved food and spent years perfecting the reverse sear on a thick ribeye. He collected wine thoughtfully and shared it generously. Music mattered deeply to him. His tastes ranged widely, from jazz to electronica, Talking Heads to The Clash. In the early 1980s, Andrew studied drumming with jazz legend Max Roach in New York City, where discipline, rhythm, and precision became second nature and followed him into the operating room. His love of rap was legendary, as was his devotion to the film House Party, which he watched so many times he could recite it nearly line for line.

Cycling was Andrew’s great devotion. He chased fitness, speed, and marginal gains with humor and determination, always looking to shave a little weight off the bike and a little time off the ride. In the We Ride 4 Cycling Club, he found a community that matched his passion and his joy.

Andrew was a loyal fan of the University of Michigan, never missing a chance to shout “GO BLUE!” or sing along to The Victors. His enthusiasm was wholehearted and contagious.

In 2003, Andrew orchestrated what he considered the best first date imaginable with Deborah, the annual Champagne Cascade at the Brown Palace Hotel. They married in 2006 and welcomed their son, Milo, in 2008. Andrew was most proud of being Milo’s father. He told Milo that he was his pride and joy and the best thing that ever happened to him.

Diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme in January 2025, Andrew spent his final year surrounded by family and friends, bringing a number of lifelong goals to fruition. In his last months, he did not suffer. He approached his illness with clarity and courage and passed without fear, offering a final lesson in how to move through life with grace.

Shortly after his diagnosis, Andrew made a final, meaningful gift to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, creating the Dr. Andrew Ross Patient Assistance Endowment. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.

Andrew is survived by his wife, Deborah, with whom he shared more than two decades of life in Colorado, his son, Milo, his brothers, Philip and Evan Ross, and his stepmother, Carolyn Benbow. He was predeceased by his parents, Kenneth Ross and Ester Ross, and his sister, Vivian Ross.

Andrew lived guided by a simple and powerful aim: to be good, to be useful, and to leave the world a little better than he found it.

We carry you with us, in how we live, in how we love, and in how we show up.

A Celebration of Life is being planned for late February.  Details are being finalized and will be shared soon.