Harold Eugene Gross
(November 14, 1930 - March
30, 2021)
Harold Eugene Gross,
Brigadier General
(Ret.), United States
Air Force, died Tuesday,
March 30, 2021 at his
home in Asheville, North
Carolina. A native of
Johnson City, Tennessee,
General Gross was born
on November 14, 1930 to
Harold Clayton and Mary
Bowman Gross.
He entered the United
States Naval Academy in
July 1949, graduating in
June 1953. General Gross
also received a master's
degree in personnel
administration from The
George Washington
University, and
completed postgraduate
education at the
Industrial College of
the Armed Forces and the
Advanced Management
Program of the Harvard
Graduate School of
Business Administration.
After graduation from
the Naval Academy, he
was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant in the
United States Air Force
and subsequently
completed navigator and
pilot training. After
serving as an instructor
and squadron commander
in the USAF Navigator
Training Program, he
joined the 63rd Troop
Carrier Wing as a pilot
and executive officer.
During his time with the
63rd, he flew resupply
missions to the US
scientific station in
Antarctica, as well as
United Nations relief
and evacuation missions
during the Congo Crisis.
Following this, he
served as aide and
executive assistant to
the Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff,
and was then named
commander of the United
States Element, Berlin
Air Safety Center,
representing the United
States in direct
negotiations with
representatives of
France, the United
Kingdom and USSR
concerning matters
related to air access to
Berlin.
He subsequently held
assignments on the Air
Staff at the Pentagon
and retired from the Air
Force in 1978 as
commander of Strategic
Air Command's 4th Air
Division, which oversaw
operations of the 28th
Bomb Wing, the 44th and
90th Strategic Missile
Wings, and the 55th
Strategic Reconnaissance
Wing.
After his retirement
from the Air Force,
General Gross was
president of Air Asia
Company, Ltd., a
division of Dallas-based
E-Systems, Inc.,
headquartered in Tainan,
Taiwan, Republic of
China. Following this,
he became a consultant
to manufacturers of
avionics and
communications
equipment, successfully
representing his clients
in sales to governments
across Asia and Latin
America.
He loved traveling the
world and talking about
his experiences, but he
was also very happy
retiring to that small
corner of the world
where he grew up, to
enjoy the temperate
climate and beautiful
seasons offered by the
Blue Ridge Mountains.
General Gross is
survived by his wife of
63 years, Shirley
Burleson Gross of
Asheville, son Harold
Gross and his wife
Rebecca and their
daughters Margaret and
Jane of Irving Texas;
daughter Melanie Gross
Bentley and husband Kurt
and their daughters
Kathleen and Kellianne
of Dallas, Texas; sister
Carolyn Adams of
Fairfax, Virginia and
numerous nieces and
nephews.
A private burial will be
held at a later date.
Morris Funeral and
Cremation Care of
Asheville, North
Carolina, is serving the
family, and condolences
may be sent to them at
www.morrisfamilycare.com.
Memorials in memory of
General Gross may be
made to the United
States Naval Academy
Foundation, Inc., 247
King George Street,
Annapolis, Maryland
21402.
Morris Funeral &
Cremation Care
304 Merrimon Ave.
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 252-1821