Find a grave. / Courtesy of Netflix.
The tomb of Bob Ross. / Bob Ross.
Bob Ross died of cancer, ending his second battle with lymphoma. His death sparked a legal battle that would end only when his son, Steve Ross, lost his father’s intellectual property rights more than two decades later.
The battle for Bob Ross Inc., the eponymous brand that was formed to sell paint products in the 1980s, came to light when Steve Ross filed a lawsuit in federal court in 2018. A judge determined that, all and that Ross named his son as the heir to the intellectual property in his will, he could not legally designate his son as the owner, according to the Daily Beast.
The legal battle is the subject of a new Netflix documentary that delves into the demands claimed by the Bob Ross brand. The documentary, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal and Greed, was released on Netflix on Wednesday, August 25, 2021.
Here’s what you need to know:
Bob Ross died of lymphoma and was buried in Florida
Bob Ross suffered from lymphoma and died in 1995 after the cancer returned, according to the Daily Beast for the second time. He suffered a heart attack in the mid-1980s and in 1994 learned that his cancer had returned. He was given a gloomy prognosis, the article said.
“Although he was as tough as he looks, his health had been a chronic problem, so much so that for years he had been convinced he would die early,” the Daily Beast reported.
Ross was buried in a “shiny aluminum coffin” and was buried with his mother and father, according to the Daily Beast. He only had a small funeral in a chapel with about 25 close family and friends before his burial in the cemetery, the article says.
Ross died at home in Orlando, Florida, at age 52, according to his obituary published in the Orlando Sentinel.
Bob Ross, the thick-haired, soft-voiced hair painting instructor who became famous in “The joy of painting” of public television, he died this week of cancer, “said the 1995 article announcing his death.
Bob Ross was buried in his home state of Florida in a simple grave that described him simply as a “television painter,” according to Find A Grave. His grave is in Gotha, Orange County, Florida, in Woodlawn Memorial Park, the website says. His tombstone is inscribed with his name and image, along with his date of birth and date of death, in addition to the words “television painter.”
Bob Ross tried to leave the intellectual property rights to his son, Steve Ross, and his half-brother
Shortly before Bob Ross’ death, the kind painter known for his “happy trees” was presented with legal documents asking him to hand over the business, Bob Ross Inc., to Annette and Walt Kowalski, the Daily Beast. Ross, who already had lymphoma, turned down the request. Instead, he made a number of changes to his will and said his name, likeness and intellectual property belong to Steve Ross and one of his half-brothers, the article says.
However, a judge ruled that Steve Ross did not have the rights because, at the time the will was amended, the intellectual property in question belonged to Bob Ross Inc., the Daily Beast reported.
“In the end, they got the best deal possible given the circumstances,” the article said. “In exchange for a modest payment, Steve waived his claims to Bob’s intellectual property. Most importantly for him, perhaps, Bob Ross, Inc., gave him permission to proceed with the your business with your name and the right, under the confidentiality agreements, to show some terms of the agreement to potential business partners who may be afraid of a lawsuit from Bob Ross, Inc., if they were to go in bed with Steve “.
This is the original version of Heavy.com
READ MORE: Steve Ross: Where is Bob Ross’ son today?