Jeremy Duncan Ross

Jeremy Duncan Ross died June 23, 2010 just five days short of his 56th birthday.Tall, chee and loud, with a great sense of humor, Jeremy had a presence that was not often missed. Friends would know he was at a meeting when they spotted his yellow car in the parking lot. Jeremy was born in Nottingham, England, on June 28, 1954, to William Duncan Ross Mariane Lys Ross, joining his older sister, Joanna. Six years later his brother, Jonathan, arrived, and they became a family of five.The Ross family settled in the Seattle area in 1966, where Jeremy attended school, played basketball and sor and earned the nickname Duke from his teammates. The name stuck and all his friends knew him as Duke. After high school, he earned a degree in drama from USC and moved back to Seattle making a living with sports radio broadcasting, stand-up comedy and bartending. His biggest passion in life was sports.The Sonics Guy, Count of the Key, and Rally-Rally Man are names familiar to any Sonics fan. Waving his scarf, encouraging the crowd to join him in cheering and yelling at the referees, he was almost as entertaining as the players themselves. When fan support dropped in Seattle, the team owners called Jeremy in for a meeting to ask his opinion on how to get the spirit back. He said, Give us our colors back and that is when the team reverted back to their original green and gold. He frequently traveled with the Sonics and attended every game, bringing the spirit back to Seattle.Seahawks fans would know him from his helmet pounding, flag waving and yelling What down is it? The fans would yell back, Its third down! and he would yell Well lets make some noise! His encouragement and support of the team played a large roll in making the Kingdome one of the loudest venues in the NFL.On August 24, 2000 Jeremy took his last drink of alcohol and has been sober since. His addiction played a large role in his life almost as much as his sobriety. But he turned it around and instead of serving drinks he started serving others in need of support. This was when he really found his own way to make a difference.Counseling and working with kids struggling to make their way was a role in which he thrived. Sponsoring friends in AA and attending meetings daily, he was committed to a new way of life. He kept a journal and each entry started with how can I improve the quality and quantity of serving others daily?Jeremy will be missed greatly within the AA community, the Cocoon House, Catholic Services and Lakeside Milam families. He played a big role for many supporting them with their sobriety. He was simply a great friend.Never did anyone expect to loose him so soon but his heart had been having some trouble and he passed in his sleep with no visible discomfort. His family is missing his presence greatly. He was truly loved.