Our Savior Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Let us remember through Thanksgiving what God has done through his servant, Roland.

Roland John Mross was given life by his creator and was born on February 8, 1935, in Racine, Wisconsin, the child of Helene (Porter) and Ernest Mross. He received the gift of Holy Baptism and was confirmed at Epiphany Evangelical Lutheran Church in Racine. He graduated from Racine Lutheran High School in1953.

Following high school graduation he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He spent most of his two years on active duty stationed at an Army medical unit in La Rochelle, France.

Upon separation from the Army, he attended the University of Wisconsin where he received a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning.

Roland spent most of his career in government science with appointments at the federal, state, and local government levels. The last seven years of his career were spent as an ambassador for a national, federally funded program called United We Ride. The goal of this program is to facilitate coordination between transportation and human services programs. In this role he worked with numerous human and social services agencies and public transportation providers in the six Great Lakes States to improve the quality and availability of transportation services for older adults, people with disabilities and individuals with lower incomes.

He found time to teach urban planning and policy as an adjunct faculty member at Ball State’s School of Architecture and Planning and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University to both graduate and under graduate students.

On December 21, 1957, he received the gift of a beloved companion in his spouse Joyce, who preceded him in death in 2008. They were blessed with the gift of their children, Mark and Steve.

God blessed Roland’s life with many special people, especially his grandchildren, John, Adam, Hannah, and Alyssa. He served God at his home, church, and work.

Finally, on February 26, 2026, God blessed Roland with the holy death and took him to rest in the arms of Jesus to await the resurrection of the dead.

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. We give thanks to God our Father through Jesus Christ, out Lord for our brother, Roland.

Visitation will take place from 10:30am-12:00pm on Monday, March 9th, 2026, at Advent Evangelical Lutheran Church (12250 N. Michigan Rd., Zionsville, IN 46077), with a funeral service to follow at 12:00pm. A graveside service with military honors will take place immediately following the service at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery (9700 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46250).

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made out to Advent Evangelical Lutheran Church (12250 N. Michigan Rd., Zionsville, IN 46077).