Carl “Mike” Ross loved serving others.

It was in his DNA.

For two decades, he dedicated his life to public service in Petersburg. He was on the Petersburg City Council for the past 11 years and had been appointed the city’s vice mayor in early January. Before that, he was on the Petersburg School Board from 1995 to 2001. He served as board chair from 1998 to 2001.

“He loved service and he absolutely loved serving the city of Petersburg,” his daughter, Carlynn M. Ross, said. “My first memory of him was being at different activities with him serving others. That was a constant in my father’s life.”

Mr. Ross also was a member of nearly 20 civic organizations

and boards, his daughter said. In his professional capacity, he worked full time as an education services specialist/test control officer at Fort Lee.

Mr. Ross is being remembered for his devotion to moving the city forward after his death Friday, Jan. 23, 2015. He was 63.

He died unexpectedly after collapsing in a parking lot at Fort Lee. The cause of his death is still unknown.

His funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015, at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Petersburg.

News of his death reverberated throughout the area.

“His passing marks the end of someone who was an integral part of the city of Petersburg,” close friend and Petersburg Mayor W. Howard Myers said in a statement.

“His kind spirit will be sorely missed. “I will miss the camaraderie he and I shared sitting next to each other during City Council sessions,” he added.

A native of Annapolis, Md., Mr. Ross graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia State University in 1974 and earned a master’s in education from VSU in 1976.

He was active at Greater Faith AME Zion Church in Petersburg, where he served as a trustee, sang in the J.R. Bailey Memorial Choir and occasionally drove the church van.

Mr. Ross also was a member of the Petersburg Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and was president of the East Walnut Hill Neighborhood Association.

In his spare time, Mr. Ross was antique car enthusiast and often volunteered. He also enjoyed watching college and professional football, basketball and baseball and listening to jazz and gospel music.

Survivors include his daughter; five sisters, Debra, Cindy, Linda, Clara and Sandra; six brothers, Charles, Grafton Jr., Charles Stanley, Kim, Jeff and Mark; nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends.