Family, Friends Pay Last Respects to Steve Ross

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. —  Corporate events, such as the funerals of CEOs and tycoons, can be cut-and-dry-eyed affairs. But that wasn’t the case Tuesday when Steve Ross, late head of Time Warner, was eulogized before an elite group of family, friends and associates at East Hampton’s Guild Hall, then buried in “The Springs” under a blanket of lavender roses.

This funeral was punctuated by a few Hebrew prayers and songs sung by some of America’s most famous talent. It was spoken over by titans, and was awash in tears and heartfelt sentiment. Grown men wept as the little chums of Ross’ youngest daughter, Nicole, laid flowers on her daddy’s casket.

Attorney Arthur Liman spoke of Steve’s having been Time Warner’s corporate face and heart . . . movie director Steven Spielberg and musician Quincy Jones remembered him . . . Beverly Sills spoke eloquently to “celebrate” Steve . . . and Tony and Mark Ross, Steve’s grown children, along with his sister Connie Landis and his sister-in-law, Lindsay Lonberg, all paid tribute.

The entire board of Time Warner was present, as were such other luminaries as former Gov. Hugh Carey, Liz and Felix Rohatyn, Lisa and Dustin Hoffman. Felix remembered that he first met Steve Ross more than 30 years ago when Ross was running Campbell’s Funeral Home and he told me how unhappy he felt to be attending Steve’s own funeral.

Ross had struggled for a year with prostate cancer, and had long been under a medical death sentence. But the strength of his spirit, vigor and presence evidently caused most of his cohorts to deny that fact. His death appeared to have been a terrible shock to almost everyone, as if it were totally unexpected. The atmosphere was that of tragic death and loss.

The most touching part of the funeral were the evocative songs sung to piano only by Valerie Simpson (“I’ll Never Love Again”), by Valerie and James Ingram (“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?”), by Paul Simon (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”) and a final heart-stopping number by Barbra Streisand, who almost never sings in public. Her final gift to Steve Ross was “Papa,” a song from the movie “Yentl,” which she prefaced by saying that Steve Ross had been a father figure to her.

At the grave site, with artists Elaine de Kooning and Jackson Pollock buried nearby, Steve Ross was laid to rest Wednesday. His widow, Courtney, and daughter, Nicole, asked friends, one by one, to lay a flower on the blanketed casket. Chevy Chase stepped up in a purple Warners cap given him by Steve Ross. He removed the cap, placed his flower and stepped back.

Few American business tycoons could have aroused the affection and sense of loss Steve Ross’ death engendered. He loved stars. And stars led him to his final sleep.