Confer-Ross remembered as giving person
BROWNSVILLE – Amy Confer-Ross, who died unexpected Sunday, is being remembered in the community for her enthusiasm and willingness to help with whatever was needed. At the age of 33, Confer-Ross was already a past-president of the Brownsville Rotary Club and active on the boards of the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Fayette (IVC), as well as the owner of Confer Funeral Home in Brownsville.
“She was so enthusiastic and so full of life,” said Carol Ashton, of IVC. “Everything she did, she did with a passion.”
Confer-Ross chaired the program evaluation and education committee of IVC, providing needs assessment for volunteers and suggesting programs. Ashton said Confer-Ross often brought her 2-year-old daughter, Laurel, with her, whether she was conducting a training program, or providing volunteer services.
“She wanted her daughter to know about community service,” Ashton said.
Ashton said Confer-Ross was willing to take on volunteer assignments on short notice, even if it meant driving an elderly person to Pittsburgh for a doctor’s appointment, with Laurel in tow. Ashton said some of the IVC clients had commented that they enjoyed spending time with the baby as much as the services provided by her mother.
Confer-Ross was due to have her second child this month. Ashton said Confer-Ross had anticipated taking several months off from the volunteer work because of the expansion of her family.
“Her family was first,” Ashton said.
Bill Johnson, secretary for the Brownsville Rotary Club, said the service organization’s motto is to never say no when there is a community need, and Confer-Ross exemplified that.
“Rotary is a service organization and she was always right there to help with whatever service project we were doing,” Johnson said. “Amy had been a Rotarian for eight years and she had served the club as president and she’s been on most of the committees we have.”
Confer-Ross was chairing the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards committee.
“She liked to work with the youth,” Johnson said. “She did a terrific job on anything she was asked to do. She was a top-notch Rotarian.”
Confer-Ross was also extremely active in the Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce and had served as the chamber’s representative to the county education committee.
“She was very education oriented,” said Muriel Nuttal, director of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce. “She was a big chamber supporter across the board, no matter what the project.”
Brownsville chamber president Frank Ricco said Confer-Ross was always willing to help anyone who needed it.
“She became very active in the community. She was part of our Light Up Night and just a great person. She always had a smile and a kind word,” Ricco said. “It’s a tremendous loss.”