Rep. n° 08/2023
Kansas City, April 9, 2023. It is with deep sadness that we received the news that our friend, Mr. Ross Paul Marine PMSP, age 85, Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic to the Midwest USA and the Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace laureate, has passed away. Thanks to his selfless initiative, one of the Trees of Peace was planted in Kansas City in an extremely important place for American and European military history. Our memorial tree, which will commemorate his memory for generations to come, grows at the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Ross organized this event under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Slovak Republic in New York in the summer of 2019. It was indeed the first overseas implementation of this international initiative, which has been implemented in 19 countries around the world and 32 Trees of Peace have already been planted. We owe one of them to our late friend Ross Marine. For his merits, our association awarded him the very first Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace with the number 001. This also highlights his tireless and excellent work. Since then, this award has been granted to 38 exceptional laureates from many countries around the world.
Ross Paul Marine passed away April 9th, 2023. He was born in Chicago, IL on January 31, 1938, the oldest of six boys to Charles and Mary Marine. Ross met Barbara in Chicago, when they both worked at the same hospital. They married in April of 1967. Ross dedicated his career to public health in which he served many roles. He served as the hospital administrator at facilities in Illinois, North Dakota, and the Kansas City metro area. He was the CEO of long-term care facilities, a healthcare consultant, and chairman and/or board member of several health care organizations and community organizations.
In addition to the Memorial Medal of Tree of Peace, Ross received many other awards for his commitment and dedication to the field of public health, aging, and the medically underserved, including the University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s “Gaylord W. Anderson Leadership Award for Outstanding Public Health Alumni”. In 2001, Ross became Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic to the states of Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, and served as the official government representative of the Slovak Republic. Ross was also very proud of his Italian heritage as a member and former president of his local Unico chapter.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years Barbara, daughter Paula Pawlewicz (Stephen), son Eric (Emily), five grandchildren, Sophia Pawlewicz, John Pawlewicz (Julie), Mira Pawlewicz, Anthony Marine, Nicolas Marine, three brothers, Jim, Gary, Ron, several nieces and nephews and friends too numerous to count . He will be sorely missed by his family and all those he encountered over his many years of service to the community.
The final farewell to our friend and funeral was on Friday, April 21, 2023 at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Kansas City. The Czech and Slovak Club of Kansas City paid last respects to Ross Marine by laying a wreath on behalf of Servare et Manere.
Requiescat in Pace!
