John Arden Oss, 87, of Vero Beach, passed away on Aug. 9, 2016.
He is survived by his six children, Gary (Kathy) Oss of Naples, Fla., Nancy Oss of Jupiter, Fla., Laurie (Garry) Bridges of Vero Beach, Joel Oss of Venice, Fla., Julie (David) Foyle of Vero Beach, Karyn (Lenny) Capozzo of Marco Island, Fla.; 12 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Caryl, and one grandson.
Oss was born in Hitterdal, Minn., on July 27 ,1929. After graduating from High School, he married Caryl Hansen of Hitterdal in 1949.
He was employed as a carpenter and moved to Detroit, Mich. In 1957, Oss moved his family to Tomah, Wis. It was there he became a law officer. He worked his way up the ranks and became the Sheriff of Monroe County. He was a popular sheriff, as he received 90 percent of the vote, his first election in 1962. Due to term limits, he retired from law enforcement.
He moved to Naples, Fla., in 1969, and returned to the construction industry. He was a Florida Certified General Contractor. He remodeled and built homes for 20 years. He then became a Collier County Building Inspector.
Oss was married to Claire Kempe of Naples for 38 years. In his retirement, he enjoyed woodworking, taking care of his lawn, and his beloved dog, Paco.
A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m., Aug. 14, at the Strunk Funeral Home, 916 17th St. Vero Beach, FL.
In lieu of flowers, make contributions to the Humane Society or the Cancer Society.
Strunk Funeral Home is handling arrangements.