- Date Of Birth: 1923
- Date Of Death: 2013
- State: New York
Leo K. “Ken” Cross, 89, of the Town of Lee, passed away peacefully, August 15, 2013, at home with his loving daughters at his side.
He was born October 2, 1923, in Rochester, Michigan, a son of the late Leo B. and Leona E. Donovan Cross, and graduated from Pontiac High School. Leo was united in marriage to the former Theresa M. Spada on February 29, 1952, at the Church of St. John the Baptist Church; she died September 20, 2009. He proudly served in the U.S. Navy and the United States Air Force and retired in 1965 from the Air Force. He later worked for the CNYDSO in Rome.
Leo was an 18 year old sailor on the USS New Orleans, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. His duty station was an anti-aircraft gun on the ship’s fantail. When the attack started, Leo and a crew member rushed to their station and had to cut canvas coverings from the guns with pocket knives and break into the ammo lockers to get their weapons into service. The New Orleans was in Pearl Harbor for repairs and was only operating on dock power when the attack started. Consequently there wasn’t any power to operate the big guns or supply ammo from the ammo lockers to the guns. As crew members worked frantically to start the ships engines, other crew member s formed lines on both side of the ship and passed ammo from hand to hand to supply the guns. It was during this effort, the ship’s chaplain, Howard Forgy, encouraged and inspired the crew by saying the now famous patriotic words, Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition. Leo later was transferred in May of 1942, to the then recently commissioned battleship, USS Indiana. The Indiana served in many sea battles and invasions, and survived many kamikazie attacks and was awarded 9 battle stars for its service. He later had the privilege of being aboard the Indiana in Tokyo Bay during the signing of the Japanese surrender. After the war, Leo returned home to Michigan but later rejoined the military in the Army Air Corps, now the United States Air Force. He served in security during the Korean War and later became a dog trainer, handler and kennel master for the Air Force sentry dogs. He retired in 1965.
Leo is survived by six daughters, Dr. Leona E. Cross of Morrisville, Theresa and Joseph Bromley of Newtown, CT, Patricia and Greg Curtin of Burlington, NJ, Regina and Eduardo Jiron of Antelope, CA, Mary Cross and Otis Goodman of Rome, and Christina and Kevin Barry of Lee Center; brothers in law, John Spada of Rome, and Angelo Spada Boonville; grandchildren, Paul and Erin Bromley, Marc Bromley, Eduardo Jiron and fiancée, Tessa Cooper, Vincent Jiron, Orlando Cross, Mark Barry and fiancée, Jillian Zick, and Patrick Barry; and great grandson, Orlando Cross; special niece Grace Spada, and many other nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Virginia, and brothers, Merrill, Randall and Homer.
The family wishes to sincerely thank the staff of the Rome Dialysis Center and neighbors, Jackie, Mike and Ryan Zbiegien, and Georgia and Henry Ortiz, and caregiver Carol Morrill,for their many years of compassion, care and friendship extended to Leo.
