Dr. Douglas K. Ross

Douglas Kent Ross passed away December 29, 2025, at his home in Farmington, Mo, surrounded by family. He was 87 years old.

Born on Dec 24, 1938, to the late J.G. and Ethel Ross, Doug grew up in Iron Mountain, Mo and graduated from Ironton High School. He was an undergraduate student at the University of MO - Columbia until he had an early dental school acceptance at Washington University in St Louis where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 1963 and later served as part-time faculty. He then earned his Fellowship and Mastership designations.

Doug married the love of his life, Pamela Jayne (Berkley) in 1962, and the two of them moved to Paris, France while Doug served his country as a dentist in the US Army. While there, they welcomed their first child.

Upon return to the U.S., Doug began his private dental practice in Farmington, where he provided exceptional dental care to tens of thousands of patients and a “start-up” location for several local dentists in the most unique dental office in the Midwest featuring a waterfall, pond and bird cage with colorful parakeets before moving to his second location in 2002. Throughout his 44+ years in private practice, he provided dentistry through the St Francois County Health Dept, Presbyterian Manor and Parkland Medical Center. He served rural and natural disaster areas through the Remote Area Medical Expeditions and Doctors with a Heart program (of which he served as national director). While he was a general dentist for all ages, much of his practice focused on children’s dental health. He was the originator of the local “Give Kids a Smile” program before it was adopted in St. Louis and then spread nationally.

He actively promoted that “real teeth can last a lifetime” and you should “only brush and floss the teeth you want to keep.”

His professional standards and exceptional care earned him the Top Dentist Award for Eastern Missouri/St. Louis Magazine, the MoAPD Roger Parrott Award for Child Advocacy, the Show-Me Public Health Award, MDA Missouri Dentist of the Year, the ADA Children’s Dental Health Award and Outstanding Young Man of Missouri.

He generously provided free dental care to those in need and emergency care in the overnight hours more times than can be counted. His heart for “providing what was needed” stretched many times beyond his personal means and best interests.

He loved “saving people’s smiles” and planned to continue practicing dentistry until he died, but a stroke in 2009 removed that option and changed the trajectory of his life. Given “a few years at most” after his stroke, his stubbornness and outstanding care by his loving wife and devoted middle son, Bradley, extended his life 16 years.

During their 63-year marriage, Doug and Pam had five children who were the pride and joy of his life: Kevin Douglas (Janet) Ross of Santa Clarita, Ca, Julie Christine (Corey) Powers of Farmington, Bradley Kent Ross of Farmington, Scott Wesley Ross of Los Angeles, Ca and Jennifer Roberts of Tampa, Fl and Farmington, Mo. Garnering a whole new level of pride and love were his five grandchildren: Ian Scot Powers, Emma Christine Powers (who preceded him in death in 2007), Addison Jayne Roberts, Samantha Emma Ross and Benjamin Douglas Ross. He made a point of creating a comfortable life full of surprises for his family. Nothing was beyond possibilities in Doug’s mind, so creating an underground “fort” and playground with “rollercoasters” in the back yard and a hallway in the house where guests signed their names on the walls and ceiling were just tips of the iceberg.

Doug was highly involved with civic and community development, envisioning ways to improve things for people and thinking “outside the box.” As a natural leader and go-getter, he served as Farmington’s Mayor 1971-1973 and was the mastermind and a founding board member for the Southeast Missouri Transportation System (SMTS). He served on the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, and the US 67 Highway Coalition as a tenacious warrior for safe access to the southbound Hwy 67 lanes (resulting in the Hwy 67 southbound “flyover”). He was a long-time member of the Chamber of Commerce. In his younger years, he was actively involved with the Jaycees and the Optimist Club. As a young dad, he was cast as the lead role in Farmington’s Community Theatre for “Life With Father” that also featured his wife and oldest child, Kevin.

Doug was a lifelong member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Farmington where he was a member of the choir, stewardship committee, church elder and financial secretary.

Doug was highly interested in genealogy, the history of Iron Mountain, architecture, landscape design, airport and highway safety, photography, classical music and lifelong learning. He loved to travel and took each of his children on a solo dad/child trip as a special treat. If there was an award for “most consistent use of Post-It notes,” his children know he would have won it every year.

In lieu of flowers, plants or trinkets, memorials may be made to Give Kids a Smile at gkas.org, Remote Area Medical (RAM) at ramusa.org, the LIFE Center for Independent Living in Farmington or St. Paul Lutheran Church. Friends are invited to share personal stories and memories of Doug Saturday, January 24 (pre-service) from 9 to 11 am at Cozean Memorial Chapel and Crematory, 217 West Columbia Street, Farmington, Mo or (post-service) until 5:30 pm in the St Paul Lutheran School Commons. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 pm the same day at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 608 East Columbia St, Farmington, MO.