James (Jay) Edward Russell, 72, Pittsburg, Missouri, died peacefully in his sleep April 19, 2013. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 27, 2013 at the Atkinson Funeral Home in Harrisonville, Missouri. Inurnment will be in Freeman Cemetery, Freeman, Missouri. (Cremation).
Jay was born January 29, 1941 in Harrisonville, Missouri, to the late T. Chester Russell and Opal Dean Williams. In 1959 he graduated from Harrisonville High School and then served 3 years in Europe in the Army’s 82nd airborne paratroopers until honorably discharged in 1962. In 1963 he became a security inspector at Honeywell (Bendix) until he retired in 1992. During that time he lived in Kansas City, Missouri and studied labor law at Longview Community College and met his wife, Linda, whom he married on Halloween in 1969.
Jay was an active leader in U.P.G.W.A, Local #251. He loved to travel and with his wife, visited all fifty states and many other countries. After his retirement he enjoyed traveling with his daughters’ Girl Scout troop. They were all his girls. He was an avid quail hunter and outlived many beloved hunting dogs. He never gave up on the Chiefs, always a football fan, no matter how bad they played. In 2002 he moved to Pomme de Terre Lake where he enjoyed telling stories, playing cards, coffee, and gossip with the guys. He was a wonderful and loving father and husband. We will always miss him.
Survivors include his wife Linda, of the home; two children, John Russell, Marshfield, Missouri and Christina Russell, Denver, Colorado and grandchildren.
