Ross dropped out of high school in the 9th grade. He had a half-brother Jim, whom he mentioned in passing on his show. As an adolescent, Ross cared for injured animals, including armadillos, snakes, alligators and squirrels, one of which was later featured in several episodes of his television show.
Ross was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, to Jack and Ollie Ross, a carpenter and a waitress respectively, and raised in Orlando, Florida. Ross would subsequently become widely known through his posthumous internet presence. He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS in the United States, CBC in Canada, and similar channels in Latin America, Europe and elsewhere.
Robert Norman Ross (Octo– July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host.
