Rita B. Ross

Rita Ross, 90, Holocaust Survivor and Educator

Rita B. Ross, 90, passed away on February 16, 2026 in Wynnewood, PA with her family by her side. She was the wife of the late Daniel P. Ross (z”l). She was the loving mother of Joseph (Linda), Steven (Marlene), Anne (Len Harvey), Kenneth (Lori) and David (Xio). She was the devoted grandmother of Philip (Valerie), Sarah, Brenna, Kirk, Callum, Joshua, Alex and Sammy. She was also the sister of Michael Schell of New York City. She was the daughter of the late Alexander Schmelkes (z”l) and Frieda Perlberger Schmelkes (z”l).

Rita was born in 1936 in Vienna, Austria. In 1938, at the age of two, she and her family fled to her mother’s family in Wieliczka, Poland. When the Nazis invaded Poland in September 1939, the family went into hiding. While her father obtained a visa and emigrated to Philadelphia, he was unable to obtain passage for his wife and two children. He was able to “engineer” American citizenship for his wife who used those documents to secure Prisoner of War status once they were captured by the Gestapo in Krakow. After years of running and hiding, they spent the remainder of the Second World War in the Prisoner of War camp Liebenau.

In February 1945, when she was 9 years old, she arrived in this country with her mother and brother as exchange Prisoners of War. Her family settled in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, along with many other Holocaust survivors. She wrote two memoirs about her experiences during the war and the challenging years of adjustment to America that followed. The first, Running From Home, was published in 2009 and the second, Journey to Happily Ever After, was published in 2017.

She attended the High School of Music and Art, and obtained a B.A. in Music from Queens College and Masters in Education from Yeshivah University. She began her teaching career in New York City where she met and married Daniel Ross in the summer of 1963. Rita adopted his two sons, Joe and Steve, who had lost their mother several years before. They settled in Wynnewood, where she continued to reside until her passing. Anne, Ken and Dave soon followed.

In the 1970s, she resumed her teaching career at what is now the Perelman Jewish Day School and became a beloved first grade teacher to generations of Jewish children in the Philadelphia region. For decades she taught many of our children to read and enjoy learning, her two main goals for first grade students. Additionally, she obtained specialized training for children with unique reading challenges. She was known for her patience and dedication, particularly in helping children with learning disabilities learn to read and gain confidence in themselves. Many of her former students and their parents remained in touch over the years, crediting her encouragement and belief in them as foundational to their later success.

She had a deep love of classical music and for many years taught and studied piano. Often, in her later years, she hosted classical concerts in her home for pianists and stringed instrumentalists. She maintained lifelong friendships and was widely known for her kindness and ability to connect with others across generations.

Following her retirement in 2004, in additional to tending to her growing her family, she made it her mission to present her personal Holocaust story to school students, ranging from Hebrew Schools to university students.

Rita was a long-time active member of Temple Beth Hillel-Beth El in Wynnewood, PA. In addition to her family, she leaves behind many devoted friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to funeral services, Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 11:00 am at Temple Beth Hillel-Beth-El, 1001 Remington Rd, Wynnewood, PA. Interment to follow at Har Jehuda Cemetery, 8400 Lansdowne Ave, Upper Darby Township, PA. Shiva will be held following services on Wednesday, with a Minyan Service at 6:30 pm, Thursday 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm at the residence of Joe and Linda Ross, Saturday 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm and Sunday 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the residence of Steve and Marlene Ross. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rita’s memory can be made to Temple Beth Hillel- Beth El (www.tbhbe.org), or a charity of the donor’s choice.

www.levinefuneral.com