Ira Mark Gross

Ira Mark Gross, devoted husband, father, brother, son and friend, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, August 5, 2020. Ira was born in Brooklyn, NY on October 16, 1956. He grew up in Merrick, New York, and graduated from JFK High School. Ira then studied accounting at University of Arizona, where he met some of the best friends of his life. While living in Houston running an auto salvage business, Ira met his match in future wife, Lisa Stelly, New Yorker meets Louisiana Cajun. Ira and Lisa married on October 23, 1999, after his surprise proposal on Valentine's Day earlier that year with a Monte Cristo cigar band at Pappa's Steakhouse. Together, Ira and Lisa enjoyed a life filled with fireworks, love and happiness. Ira was passionate about multi-family real estate. Since 2005, he was dedicated to providing homes for families in the Houston community through the apartments he purchased, improved, and operated via his company, Integrity Asset Management. Ira exemplified the word Integrity. His honesty, kindness and loyalty were recognized and valued by his employees, colleagues and investors. Ira was a devoted husband and a loving and involved dad. No matter how busy his work schedule was, he made time for numerous leadership roles with Boy Scout Troop 599, including mentoring his son Andrew in achieving Eagle Scout rank and was currently doing the same for his son Alex. Ira was an active member of the Houston Apartment Association for several years and was a dedicated member of their Board of Directors. He was also a participating associate with Lifestyles Unlimited, fulfilling the roles of an active Lead Partner while mentoring other members. Ira's friends and family will fondly remember him as a consummate host and an epic entertainer at his house in Galveston where he loved to fish, boat, jet ski, grill, boil crawfish and fire up his smoker and his blender. The bay house was a fulfilled life-long dream of his, and was always filled with happy voices and lots of laughter. Ira was preceded in death by his parents, Stanley and Pearl Gross; father-in law, Jimmy Stelly; sister-in-law, Jamie Koss, and brother-in-law, Craig Stelly. Ira is survived by his wife, Lisa; his two sons, Andrew and Alex; mother-in-law, Margaret Stelly; sisters-in-law, Tina Richard and Vickie Meche and her husband Billy; nieces and nephews, Lance Stelly and fiancé Amanda and their daughter Ryleigh, Mitchell Lagneaux and fiancé Jen Ly, Michael Lagneaux and his wife Amber, Monique Guidry and her husband Jude, Ferin Meche and her son Hunter, Zak and Zoe Katzenellenbogen; and sister, Fran Katzenellenbogen (Mark). A private funeral service for Ira will be held on Tuesday, August 11, 2020. In lieu of flowers and food the Gross family gratefully requests that desired memorial donations in Ira's name be made to St Jude's Children's Hospital https://www.stjude.org/ Boy Scouts of America - Houston Troop 599 https://www.scouttroop599.org/ or Small Steps Nurturing Center https://ssnc.org/ Ira was a dedicated family man, a big-hearted and trust-worthy friend, and an all-around larger than life guy. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

Ira Mark Gross

October 16, 1956 - August 5, 2020