Ross Joseph Rosenberg

April 29, 1951 ~ May 9, 2025

Ross Joseph Rosenberg, 74, died on May 9, 2025, at the Kaplan Family Hospice Residence in Newburgh, after a relatively brief, but intense battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ross was born on April 29, 1951, in Queens, New York. He was the son of Arthur and Martha Rosenberg. Ross grew up on the Laurelton neighborhood of Queens; his family later moved to Freeport, New York, when Ross was in his late teens.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Ross prided himself as being a self-proclaimed "hippie". He attended the Woodstock 3-day festival in 1969, but ended up spending much of his time in the "freak-out tent" helping talk people down from bad trips.

He attended Sullivan County Community College in 1969 before transferring to SUNY New Paltz the next year. After earning a B.A. in Sociology in 1973, Ross headed off to Europe for a year-long adventure. When he returned, he went back to SUNY New Paltz to earn his MS in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education.

Ross began his teaching career at the Mother Cabrini School in West Park, NY, working with children with special needs, before landing a special education position at the Early Childhood Developmental Learning Center in New Windsor, NY. His next and last teaching position was with the Newburgh Enlarged School District (NECD). He began as a pre-school special education teacher at the Gidney Avenue Memorial School (GAMS) and then at the Washington Street School, before ending his teaching career as a Special Education Resource Teacher back at GAMS. Ross retired from the NECD in 2013.

After retirement, Ross continued his educational journey by auditing courses at SUNY New Paltz in music history, music theory, Greek and Roman art, and film history. He was a life-long learner. He took up piano lessons in his late 60s, enjoying the post-lesson coffee chat with his teacher as much or if not more than the lesson. During the past few years, he also became an avid mahjong enthusiast, enjoying weekly games with his fellow mahjong mavens.

He was also passionate about travel. He viewed travel as the ultimate learning experience. During his lifetime he visited over 60 countries in Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. He was always ready for an excursion to another country to drink in a new cultural experience.

Ross is survived by his husband, David Kohl, who has shared his life for nearly 38 years; his sister, Judy Garber of New York City; his nephew and niece, Matthew Shapiro and his wife Jessica of Slingerlands, NY; his nephew Jonathan Shapiro and his wife Natalia, and their two children, Fiona and Benjamin, residing in New York City; and his many cousins, too numerous to list here.

Ross was a gregarious soul who was able to make friends easily, a talent that cannot be learned but can only be admired. He will be missed by so many.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 14, at Brooks Funeral Home, 481 Gidney Avenue, Newburgh, NY.

In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in his name to an organization of your choice.