Ross Kirby Willard, 75, of Enola, Pennsylvania transitioned suddenly to heaven on May 8, 2026, while attending a meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife. Born October 24, 1950, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, one of 3 children born to Howard and Adeline (Emmanuel) Willard. Ross was an incredibly loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to many.
Survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Ruth (Crist Swanger) Willard, brother Roger Willard and wife Patti Willard, 5 children, stepson Todd Swanger, son Joel Willard and wife Brandie Willard, stepson Craig Swanger, stepson Michael Swanger, daughter Holly Beth (Willard) Stout and husband Aaron Stout. He truly enjoyed being grandfather to 13 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father Howard Willard and mother Adeline (Emmanuel) Willard, brother Ray Willard, and daughter-in-law Amanda (Shipe) Swanger.
Ross, a graduate of East Pennsboro High School in 1968, had a God given gift of being able to fix almost anything and would later use those skills as the founder of Recycle Bicycle. In his early years he loved going on adventures, hiking, camping, skating, anything with wheels. After working several jobs, he started to work for the railroad in 1975 and would later retire on April 1, 2006. In the 20 years since retirement, what began on the streets of Harrisburg through March for Jesus- bringing the church outside its walls to worship in the streets, feed people at block parties, and share the love of Christ- eventually gave way to the vision of Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg. As the founder, he became the force and visionary behind Recycle Bicycle, impacting many lives. The vision he carried quickly spread to other cities and even other states and will continue to grow.
He would always lovingly say that he was his wife Ruth Willard’s chauffeur, driving her from city to city to minister through the KEY Fellowship ministry. It was during those times that he would find time to connect with other bike shops and non-profit ministries. The love he had for his family, friends, and anyone in need was evident. His absence will be felt for many years to come.
A Celebration of Life will be held June 19, 2026, at Christ Community Church, 1201 Slate Hill Road, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011. It will begin at 6 PM with visitation followed by a 7 PM Service. The Harrisburg Bicycle Club will be hosting a bike ride to the Celebration of Life service for Ross Willard.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be mad to Recycle Bicycle Harrisburg https://rbhburg.org and KEY Fellowship https://keyfellowship.net
The Sullivan Funeral Home is honored to serve the Willard family.
www.sullivanfuneralservices.com