State College musician, mentor Mark Ross leaves lasting impact on community and beyond

Something shifted in Centre County Wednesday morning around 2 a.m.

That something was situated at the epicenter of the Centre County music scene, as well as in the hearts of people locally and around the world. It was when local musician, entrepreneur, friend and devoted family member Mark Ross succumbed to his monthslong experience with splenic sarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer affecting fewer than 20 Americans annually.

“Dad’s was the most unconditional love, period,” his daughter, Ana-Sophia Ross, said.

Ross was diagnosed in fall 2019 and sought treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York as well as Geisinger Medical Center, with the two facilities partnering to coordinate his treatments. More recently, Ross transitioned to hospice care and spent the last weeks of his life between UPMC, Geisinger, Mount Nittany Health, and, finally, his Lemont home.

While at UPMC, Ross was able to witness his daughter’s wedding to her fiance, Brian Cohen, which occurred in his hospital room.

He died early Wednesday morning. He was 59 years old.

“I think he knew (Tuesday) these were his last couple hours,” his son, Mac Ross, said. “Something snapped him out of that confusion and his sedatedness. He told me, ‘I love you,’ and that meant everything to me.”

Ross was the lead guitarist for a number of successful blues and jazz groups, including the world renowned Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band as well as as local and regional favorite Miss Melanie and the Valley Rats. In addition, he was the owner and visionary of State College’s Alley Cat Music, a one of a kind musical instrument shop that featured Ross’ custom amplifiers and guitars, as well as a diverse array of refurbished, vintage arch top guitars. Only months prior to his cancer diagnosis, Ross sold the store and retired from performing music.

“Performing with him was like being in a family,” said Melanie Morrison, lead singer for Miss Melanie and the Valley Rats. “He created this wonderful family of amazing musicians, and he taught me so much. He saw in me something I wasn’t ready to acknowledge in myself. He pushed me in ways I didn’t understand until years later.”

Ross is survived by his wife, Cindy, his children and son-in-law, brother, Herman Ross, Jr. and his sister, Loretta Tekavec. He also leaves behind a substantial network of extended family, friends and musical collaborators of all ages with whom he was intimately connected, and an irrepressibly high vibration stemming from his passion for family, music, baseball, coaching and helping others.

“He really was a loyal friend to me,” Tekavec said. “He was easy to love. I will miss him and love him forever for the little boy he once was, and for being the spirited man with the big heart he became. We had a genuine friendship.”

Professionally, Ross was a legendary guitar player and performer, having toured the world with Queen Bee and the Blue Hornet Band, crossing paths with the likes of B.B. King and Buddy Guy. As he and Cindy grew their family, he felt an increasing urge to be home with his children, so he moved back to State College. He worked at Penn State prior to opening the first of two iterations of Alley Cat Music.

Eventually, he leaned on a longtime personal and professional connection to secure a weekly show at Otto’s Pub and Brewery that lasted for over half a decade.

“My first introduction to Mark was 1993,” Otto’s manager Kevin Franklin said. “That was the beginning of my promoting live music. He taught me so much. Whenever I came to Otto’s he came out. He was a consummate professional.”

Ross was widely considered an authentic friend. He was known for establishing his music store as a local gathering place for musicians, enthusiastically cooking late-night omelets for anyone he considered a friend, and generously giving his time and heart to others.

“He was a big brother. He was a mentor. He was a family member. He was my best friend in this area,” local musician Bill Strayer said. “He helped me through some of my most difficult times. Anything he was to me he was also to so many other people, and that’s the incredible thing about him.”

With such a large network, Ross’ charisma naturally circles back to those who he cared about most deeply, his wife and children, and it did not go unnoticed by his partner for over three decades.

“We are so thankful, grateful for the support from State College and afar,” Cindy Ross said. “It is like nothing I’ve ever seen or experienced. It has been so helpful and healing. So many people have put their time and effort and care and love and everything into supporting us.”

A celebration of Ross’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the TJ Martell Foundation (TJmartell.org) or the Roberto Clemente Foundation (RobertoClementefoundation.com).

Proceeds from a T-shirt from a sold-out benefit concert held for Ross in January will go toward supporting local musicians affected by closures and cancellations due to COVID-19.

This story was originally published March 15, 2020 at 4:45 PM.