John Campbell Ross

John Campbell "Jack" Ross (11 March 1899 – 3 June 2009) was an Australian supercentenarian and veteran of the First World War. He was also the oldest living person in Australia from the death of E. Beatrice Riley on 15 May 2009, until his own death less than one monrth later.

Early life and family
Born in Newtown, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Ross served as a wireless operator in the Australian Imperial Force, enlisting in January 1918, but never left Australia or saw active service. He later went on to serve in the Second World War as a corporal with the 20th Battalion, Volunteer Defence Corps.

His wife, Irene (née Laird), predeceased him by several decades. He was survived by a son, Robert, a daughter, Peggy Ashburn, four grandchildren- Jeanette, Heather, Kay, and John – and nine great-grand children. Ross was a teetotaler and non-smoker.

Honours
On 11 November 1998, Ross had been awarded the 80th Anniversary Armistice Medal to mark the end of World War I. He had also been awarded the Centenary Medal for doing his share to the Australian society in the 100 years since federation.

The death of William Evan Allan in October 2005 left Ross as the last Australian digger from World War I. However, the English-born Claude Choules, a World War I veteran who served for Britain, lived in Western Australia. Ross became Australia's oldest man at the age of 108, on 12 June 2007, upon the death of Frank Scarrabelotti.

Ross celebrated his 110th birthday with chocolates and cake and a commemorative letter from the Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd.