Children: Eugene Marjorie Ross, Ian Alexander Ross, Howard Irwin Ross, John W. Ross Jr., Phylis Gertrude Ross and Aileen Dansken Ross.

He was elected  to the Association of Accountants, Montreal (C.A.) in 1896 (councillor, 1901-03; secy.treas., 1899-1901 : president 1905-06) ; a del, Cong. of Accts., St. Louis Expn., 1904 ; He was with James Walker & Co., 1887-91: since when he has been a member of P. S. ROSS & SONS, Montreal, P.Q., accountants, liquidators and trustees, (established 1879) ; vice-president of  Ross Realty Co. ; and a director of subsidiary companies; vice-pres., The Audit Company of Montreal; director of  Sun Life Assurance, Montreal; Can. Tube & Steel Products Co.; Crown Trust Co.; Un. Corpns, Ltd.; Dominion Equity & Security Co.; Midland Pk. Land Co. and the Orchard Grove Land Co.  In 1925 an Honorary LL.D. was conferred on him by McGill University . 

He served with the 3rd Victoria Rifles of Canada during the War (Home Guards) and is a governor of the  Verdun Hospital ; Art Association of Montreal, Montreal General Hospital ; Lachine General Hospital, Childrens Memorial Hospital and the Laurentian Sanatorium ; Governor and honorary treasurer of the  Royal Institute for the Advancement Learning; McGill University and Royal Victoria CoIlege ; a member of the Candadian Chamber of Commerce (pres., 1933) ; Board of Trade, Montreal (pres., 1922) ; fellow of the Dominion Association of Chartered Accountants ; member of the  Society of Chartered Accountants. of P.Q. (pres., 1905-06) ; Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants ; director of the Y.M.C.A., Montreal, 1893-1935 (pres., 1905-15).

J.W. Ross has taken a great interest in athletics. He is a Conservative and a member of the United Church.

Recreations:  golf, curling, swimming, fishing, motoring; 
Clubs: Mount Royal Club; Montreal Club; Royal Montreal Golf; Royal Montreal Curling(vice-pres.1935)
Office: 360 St. James St. W., Montreal, P,Q,; 
Homes: “Gleneagles”, Montreal; “Woodlands”, P.Q.; and “Perce”, P.Q,

John W. Ross was educated at the Montreal High School and the Montreal Business School and afterwards traveled extensively in Canada, the U. S. A., Great Britain and Europe. During his youth he was a member of the Young Britannia Football Club and of the old Montreal Tennis Club, as was his twin brother A. F. C. Ross. They, together with their other brothers, J. G. Ross and W. G. Ross spent many of their summers out sailing on Lake St. Louis, from their house at Lakeside. John W. in those days and later was often called "Noakes".

He joined his Father's Firm, P. S. Ross & Sons, founded in 1858, and became a Partner as did several of his brothers. At the age of 26 he was elected a member of the Association of Accountants in Montreal. He successively became a Councilor of the Association, Secretary Treasurer and President and in 1902 was elected a Fellow of the Dominion Association of Accountants. In 1945 he was presented with an engraved silver tray by the Society of Chartered Accountants of the Province of Quebec at its Annual Dinner in recognition of the 50th Anniversary of his admission to membership,

As a Partner in the Firm of P. S. Ross & Sons, Chartered Accountants, he served in many civic, provincial and national capacities during his lengthy career. He was Honorary Treasurer of McGill University from 1911 to 1938 and later on became one of the senior Governors. In 1924 McGill conferred on him an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his service to the University and the larger community. He was President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and in 1933 was a delegate to the world conference of Chambers of Commerce in London, England. He was also three times President of the Montreal Board of Trade.

In his younger years he and his brothers, P. D.,  J. G.,  W. G. and A.F.C, teamed up for many years to play annual golf games and to curl against the five Hodgson brothers.

During his career he held many Directorships in such Companies as the Bell Telephone Company of Canada, Henry Birks & Sons, Belgo Pulp and Paper, North American Telephone Co., Molsons Bank and Commercial Plate Glass Company. At his death he was a member of the Board of the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, Crown Trust & Guarantee Co., the United Corporation Ltd. and the Canadian Tube and Steel Products Ltd.

He had also been a Governor of the Montreal General Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, Verdun Protestant Hospital, Lachine General Hospital and the Laurentian Sanitarium. He was a Life Governor of the Art Association of Montreal and was prominent in Victory Loans, hospital drives and charity campaigns. He was a Director of the Montreal Y.M.C.A. and President of that organization from 1905 - 1914. He also served on the National Council and the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A. He was a member of the St. James Club, the Royal Montreal Golf Club, Royal Montreal Curling Club, of which he had also been Past President, the Montreal Club and the Faculty Club of McGill University.

John W. Ross was educated at Montreal High School and Montreal Business College before travelling extensively in Britain and Europe. In 1893, he became a partner in P.S. Ross & Sons, his father's chartered accounting firm. Elected to the Association of Accountants in 1896, he served as secretary treasurer from 1899 to 1901 and as president in 1905 and 1906. Further professional distinction came with his election in 1902 as a Fellow of the Dominion Association of Accountants.

During a business career which lasted 53 years, Ross also held directorships in a number of firms, and was President of the Montreal Board of Trade in 1923, 1932 and 1933. He was prominent in numerous charitable organizations, and received an LL.D. from McGill University in 1924.

Ross sought relaxation from public life with a number of hobbies, including golf, fishing, curling and amature photography. He was a founding member of the Montreal Y.M.C.A Camera Club in 1898, serving as the first Vice-President.His photographs record the activities of his large family and of his wide circle of relatives and friends, often in a light-hearted and humourous way, both in Montreal and at summer resorts like Cacouna.-PR

Collections:
Public Archives of Canada
John W. Ross Collection (Acc. No. 1979-133)
"Consists of 100 original prints including the daily life of the Ross family and friends at Montreal and Cacouna, Que., as well as various buildings at McGill University. Inclusive dates are c1885-1917."

• Ian Ross (grandson)
• John McCullough (cousin through marriage) 
• Patty Brown (Although not related, J.W. Ross and his twin brother, A.F.C Ross, were close friends of my great grandfather F.H. Wilson and they appear in dozens of our old family photos. I'd like to make contact with decendants of the "Ross twins" to compare photo albums!)