Janice Doolen Ross

March 20, 1942 – October 28, 2026

Services for Janice (Doolen) Ross, 84, of Ada, are 11:00 a.m. Monday, November 2, 2026, at Center Free Will Baptist Church; her son, Stacy Ross will officiate. Burial will follow at Vamoosa Cemetery.

Janice passed away on October 28, 2026, in her home. Janice was born on March 20, 1942, to Roy “Babe” and Ruby (Hudson) Doolen. She was the youngest of eight children. On June 7, 1963, she married Jimmy Ross, and together they raised two sons, Shannon Ross and Stacy Ross.

While Janice worked many jobs throughout her life, her primary calling and greatest passion was raising children. She worked in daycares in Ada and Fort Gibson and operated a daycare out of her home. But her love for children extended far beyond those she cared for professionally. Over the years, Janice also “adopted” children from church, investing in their lives and loving them as her own. Many of the children she cared for, both in daycare and at church, would later say that Janice helped raise them and was a tremendous influence in their lives.

Janice was a deeply devoted disciple of Jesus whose faith was evident in the way she lived and loved others. She was actively involved in her church until her health no longer allowed her to serve as she once had. Throughout the years, she worked in the nursery, co-taught junior high Sunday school with Jimmy, and served in numerous other ways. She also faithfully shared the Gospel and invited many of the parents of the children she cared for to church. For Janice, caring for children was more than a job; it was an opportunity to demonstrate the love of Jesus and make an eternal difference in the lives of others.

Janice was a woman of strong convictions and never shy about sharing her opinions. Those who knew her knew she had thoughts on just about everything, and she wasn't afraid to let you know what they were!

Janice loved being “Nana” to her grandchildren. Although she was saddened that they did not grow up nearby, she made it a point to know what was happening in their lives. Distance never diminished her love for them or her desire to be a part of their lives.

Janice was preceded in death by her parents, Babe and Ruby Doolen; three brothers, Jesse “Son” Doolen, A.J. Doolen, and Roy Dean Doolen; four sisters, Mildred Lancaster, DeAltha “Sug” Stafford, Naomi Davis, and JoAnn Rogers; three nephews, Jesse “Bucky” Doolen, Shawn Roddy, and Roger Lancaster; and three nieces, Connie Tweedy, Denice Gilliam, and Darlene Pagonis.

She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Ross; her two sons, Shannon Ross and his wife, Heather, and Stacy Ross and his wife, Kelly; four granddaughters, Landyn, Katelyn, Sarah, and Lizzie; one grandson, Peyton; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Janice's legacy lives on not only in her family but also in the countless lives she touched through her love for children, her devotion to Christ, and her faithful service to others.

Bearers are Peyton Ross, Mike Roddy, Mark Doolen, James Vanlandingham, Danny Stafford, and Chuck Lancaster.