Ross lived life on his terms

By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — There's only one thing of which Pete Ross was afraid: failure to live life as fully as he could. So, when the 52-year-old husband, father, grandfather, former United States Marine Corps warrior, state police officer and retired assistant district attorney died early Sunday, and people began reviewing his all-too-brief life they came to one conclusion. Pete Ross had lived ... man, had he lived.

Ross began his career with the New Mexico State Police as a rookie cop in Gallup, served there many years with his buddy, now retired Assistant State Police Chief "Frenchie" Relyea, was eventually transferred to the State Police Milan Substation as a sergeant, served in Cibola County several years and moved on from there.

Ross retired from the state police following an in-the-line-of-duty helicopter crash, which left him confined to a wheelchair.

To Ross, life's obstacles are barriers, just challenges meant to be conquered. So, confined to a wheelchair, Ross finished undergraduate college work, got his degree, then continued his education to become an attorney. Ross went to work for the Second Judicial District in Bernalillo County as an assistant district attorney.

A grieving son talks
One of his sons, John Morlock, married and now living in Virginia, took a few moments Monday in Albuquerque to talk about his dad, even though the pain in his voice was obvious. When Ross discovered he was about to die last week, rather than stay at the hospital, he elected to come home. There, he called all of his family together, as well as his close friends, said goodbye to each of them in his own way and quietly slipped into death early Sunday morning.

Ross was born in Albuquerque. His brother Jeff Ross, and his sister Sally Ross, are both listed as survivors. Also surviving are his parents, Charlie and Helen Ross, his wife Anne, sons Frank Morlock, John Morlock, Mat Morlock, Greg Ross; and daughter Misty Ross.

Ross grew up in Albuquerque and as a teenager had a brief escape from education when he dropped out of high school.

Forces soon drew Ross back into the education arena. It was 1970 and the Vietnam War was raging. Premium gasoline used to power the era's muscle cars was being served up at 25 cents per gallon.

When he was17 years old, Ross had a sense of duty to himself, his family, his state and country. Ross went to the Marine Corps recruiter in Albuquerque and got turned down. Recruiters told him to come back when he had more education. Ross studied hard and passed the test for his GED. In 1970, the 17-year-old took his prized GED down to the recruiters office, raised his right hand and suddenly found himself in the Marine Corps.

Off to Vietnam
Not going to Vietnam was out of the question for Ross. He served two complete tours of duty in that hellhole.

Civic duty was far from over for the 20-year-old Ross. "He wanted to be a cop," Morlock said.

Back in New Mexico, Ross went to the New Mexico State Police Academy in December 1974. In early 1975, Ross graduated and immediately sent to Gallup, which is now the headquarters for the District 6 New Mexico State Police.

It was in Gallup where Ross met Relyea, who who became a lifelong friend. "From the start Pete was a go-getter, a hard worker, the kind of man who worked 12 hours a day just because he wanted to do good things," Relyea said.

Relyea said he and Ross liked to take illegal drugs off the streets. "Other officers would take ounces off, but Pete and I, we'd get pounds of the stuff off the streets," Relyea said.

Ross took college classes on the side while being a state police officer. He eventually was promoted to the rank of sergeant and was transferred to the Milan Substation of the New Mexico State Police. "Pete ran that substation," Relyea said, adding that one thing which really stuck when it came to Ross, "Pete was a family man, totally devoted to his family."

Tragedy strikes
On Aug. 29, 1986, Ross was after pot growers in a U.S. Customs helicopter when tragedy struck. Lt. Jimmy Glascock, a state police spokesman, explained, "Sergeant Pete Ross was on a U.S. Customs helicopter with three U.S. Customs personnel and State Policemen Pat Wood, Robert Coon and Jerry Urban. They were responding to an area near Mayhill, N.M., to seize a marijuana plantation. Sergeant Ross was present as a bomb team representative in the event booby traps were located on the plantation. At approximately 10 a.m., they were attempting to land when the helicopter crashed into the side of a hill."

The helicopter rolled down the hill, trapping Ross under it. The accident put Ross in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Ross suddenly was faced with another challenge. Still wanting to be a public servant, he went to college with a vengence and a plan. His life had been devoted to taking bad guys off the street before, but as a prosecuting attorney, he could keep them off the streets. Ross eventually graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law and in 1996, got his first job as a prosecutor with the Second Judicial District. His colleagues there describe Ross as "The Rock."

In 2000 and 2004, Ross, who lived in Rio Rancho, ran for district attorney of the Thirteenth Judicial District on the Republican ticket. Twice Ross came very close to capturing the district.

Public servant
Morlock said his father retired three months ago as an assistant district attorney, but went back to the office to help out every now and then. "Dad was a public servant from day one," Morlock said. "He wouldn't always tell you what you wanted to hear, but what you needed to hear and he would never get on a soapbox."

Like many people would like to do, but few ever really accomplish, in Morlock's words, "Dad didn't live in spite of life, he lived life on his terms."

Ross was not just dedicated to his family, but also to one other, his beloved pet monkey, Charlie, so-named after his father in what has come to be a family joke. A consummate humorist, Ross would have laughed at his obituary from French Mortuary. There, nestled among the survivors are the words: "Pete is also survived by Charlie the monkey."

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at New Life Baptist Church, 6900 Los Volcanes NW., Albuquerque. Burial will follow in the Santa Fe National Cemetery, at 1:30 p.m.

— To contact reporter Tom Purdom call 285-6184, or e-mail: writer@cia-g.com.