To all who knew and loved Adam I want to let you know that I have established a scholarship in his name at the University of Manitoba's music school in jazz guitar. Adam was a graduate of the University of Winnipeg which has no music school. I remember one summer evening going to a pub with Adam in Winnipeg that had a monthly jazz night with musicians from the music program at the U of M. The music was great and as always Adam was into it.  If you wish to add to the fund you may do so by following this link:
http://give.umanitoba.ca/AdamRussellMemorialScholarship
If you would like more information, please contact me at jimmruss@gmail.com

I had the honor and pleasure of knowing Adam growing up as one of the neighborhood kids. Adam, D'Arcy, Sean, Ian, Richard and I would spend countless hours having super fun times. 

Adam had an amazing imagination and creativity. He was really well read, and a clear thinker. If you argued with him, he might be very serious getting his point across and then a moment later say something funny and burst into laughter. 

I remember his fondness for comics, and his favorite thing were dwarves, like the kind in the Tolkien books and movies. I have yet to meet someone as enthusiastic about those hardy little bearded buggers as Adam. I believe he admired their raw brute strength, earthiness and at the same time found their dour stoic attitude very funny.  It's funny what you remember about people. 

Adam, you left way to soon buddy! I will miss you and always keep a special place for you in my childhood memories.

Adam and Kristine, I am so lucky and happy to have known and loved you both. You two are never far from my thoughts and are always in my heart. Your lovely spirits. Anne, Kitchener.

Thinking of Adam and Kristine - so many good times, so much love and sharing.  Miss you both always.  Karen - Winnipeg.  Astral hugs.

Such a long time three years.  Such a short time three years.  We miss you Adam.

Love Judy

I have just learned of his passing today. For the brief time we had spent together, I felt a deep connection with him.  His wry, off hand sense of humour was immediately endearing and I felt an ease around him. 
I ran into him at the store where he was working about a year or two ago and was happy to see him. We exchanged details and fully intended to reconnect. Life happens and we all get busy. That was the last time I saw him. 
My thoughts are with him and his family.

A year later: Hard to believe Adam is not here - somewhere - doodling on his jazz guitar, drinking wine, singing Django - miss him very much; glad to have known him.  Salut, amigo.

I am stunned to read this. I haven't seen Adam in about 15 years or so and can't believe I didn't look for him more diligently before his passing. Adam & I attended high school together and shared some similar interests in art & music. I recall attending anti-racism rallies as well as many peace events with Adam. Some of my most cherished memories of Adam are from when he joined the soccer team at Ideal, where his enthusiasm and hard tackling more than made up for any lack of finesse. He had a sense of fair play that was stronger than base competitive urges, although I do recall him losing his temper and fouling his opponent only to apologize profusely immediately after. He was a true practitioner of what we half-jokingly called "Zen soccer" and won't be forgotten.

When I think of Adam I can still see Darcy, Sean and Damion running throught Guy and Drena's house with pointed sticks, followed closely by Jessica, screaming that she wanted to play with the boys.  I did not know Adam as an adult but he and Damion met quite by accident in a bar in Tokyo in the middle of the night.  
As a parent, my heart hurts when I think of the pain that Adam's parents and siblings are going through.  Know that we share your pain as you bid Adam good-bye.  Delora Harper

We will have a Celebration of the Life of Adam Russell on March 24, 2013 from 1 to 4  at Brock House 3875 Point Grey Road, Vancouver B.C. V6R 1B3. 

We hope the afternoon will be full of poetry and music, two of Adam's great passions.  Bring an instrument if you like.

It is hard to find words to express our sorrow for you all at the loss of Adam. I had only seen him once since he was a child, the night I brought Taylor for dinner at your house. I was so impressed with his gentleness and patience as he sat and accompanied her on the guitar while she tinkled around on the piano for over an hour.. You are in our thoughts and hearts. Maureen Molloy, Doug Sutton

I was shocked when I heard of Adam's death.  He was the 2nd of my contemporaries to die from Heart related issues in six weeks.  
If you are in your forties, please pay attention to your blood pressure, and be aware of your salt intake.
I will miss Adam.  I was fortunate enough to hear him play guitar once and will always remember it.  One of my earliest memories involved Adam smashing a wooden dog toy on my head when we were babies.  
For years I looked back on that incident somewhat fondly, the idea of innocent toddlers playing around, trying to figure the world out.  Adam, did we ever figure out how the world worked?

Judith and Family, please know you are in our thoughts and have our most sincere condolences.  Bruce Uditsky and Donna Barrett

Like Marilyn I have found it hard to write and express my great sorrow at Adam's sudden passing. I first got to know Adam as I got to know Kristine, when I moved to Winnipeg in the early 1990s. At first he amazed me by his wide-ranging intelligence and his wry perceptions of our humanity. He was in his early 20s yet he could hold his own quite easily at a dinner party of raucous professors. He was so kind, so sweet, such a wonderful person with whom to get lost in conversation. I ate yummy pizza he made, and took pleasure in his music. Above all, I remember the shine of his soul and the depth of his compassion. I miss him. My thoughts are with my dear friends Kristine and John, and the rest of his family.

Adam was a nice brother. He liked playing video games with me and liked talking about jobs with me.  I will hold memories of him in my heart forever. I love you brother.

My nephew Adam is very special to me, and I will hold my memories of him in my heart all my life.  It's hard to find words at a time of such devastating loss, loss to me,  but such an acute loss to my dear brother Jim,   whose feelings and thoughts are so intertwined with my own—we've known each other for nearly seven decades--  that I hardly can distinguish them.    My deep sympathy is   with him, Kristine,  Judy, Leah and Ben.  
My memories of Adam go back to holding  him as a new-born.  And  Jim's excited call to our mother:  we  are calling him Adam because he's the first baby ever!   Adam visited us with his dad nearly every summer when he was growing up,  and he was a dear and funny boy.  As he grew older he became a thoughtful and articulate young man.   Conversations with him always made me think about things anew, or think about things that I might want to avoid.  It's true to say that he had a philosophical bent early, and that he developed and honed that way of thinking.   His eight-year old cousin Sam's anguished comment when he heard of Adam's death might have been said by Adam at that age:   what's the point of living if we are just going to die?   Adam found lots of reasons to live and he would have had good answers for Sam.   Adam had a sophisticated sense of humour and keen sense of irony but he could also be funny and goofy as he was with Sam at Jim's 65th birthday.  He regaled him  with jokes—for Sam side-splitting jokes—during that long  adult meal.   Sam and his sister Amelia remembered all that three years later;  “He was the funniest person we knew,”  Amelia  said.  
 Like many young people,  Adam did not land easily  in  the kind of full-blown adulthood that is expected in contemporary society.   He tried different things, and learned from all of them.  His intelligence and primal sense of decency and caring ensured that he would keep  searching.   For some years he has had a job that he liked,  working with good people who appreciated his work ethic, his compassion, and his humour.    He took good care of himself and stayed close to his family.    I saw him last when he came for the Celebration of his Aunt Susan's life  in Pointe Claire in May 2011.  He had to take time off work while  he was seeking to have full-time employment but it mattered to him that he was with his family to honour her memory.  It meant a lot  to me that he came; I was touched by his loyalty  and love.  I loved Adam very much,  and  he should have outlived  me.  That should be the way things work.   What all of us who loved Adam have now our memories with which we can continue to engage.  I muse about conversations that we had over the years, and that is how I will keep him close.

I was so sad to hear that Adam had left us, I have very fond memories of Adam from our childhood, we used to have a lot of great belly laughs together, which I seldom had with others, I always felt we'd have a chance to reconnect like that again and I feel awful that I let the time just pass us by.I really liked Adam, he had a great spirit. Adam, You will be forever missed.
Sue Hamilton (Montreal, Quebec)

It has taken me a while to be able to write here because I am devestated by Adam's death. My daughter Astra and I lived with Adam and his mother Kristine in Vancouver when we were studying at Simon Fraser University. We co-parented our children and I loved Adam. He was a wonderful boy and I think we shared a special bond. As he grew into a man I found him to be clever and warm and funny. We laughed a lot.  My deepest condolences to dear Kristine and Jim and all of his family. Marilyn. .

May his memory be for a blessing.    -E.T.

Ben, Sorry about you brother.  I liked being his friend.

if deep friendship
is to be understood it is
to have know Adam ;
His generocity of spirit 
was unique and not anything I could
pay adequate respect to by just
stating it  here

So very very sorry to hear of Adam's passing. I didn't know him well but was always struck by how kind and genuine he was whenever we did meet. I know my dad loved him a lot and I have been thinking of them watching the sunset by the water...I will keep that image with me.  I am holding you all in my thoughts.

We met Adam for the first time just three months ago vacationing on Hornby Island. We spent a wonderful evening together and in that very short time found him to be a very engaging person with a wry sense of humour, love of music, good conversation and a curiousity of the human dynamic. His sudden passing has shocked and saddened us. Our hearts go out to his family. He will be missed.  Shirly Reimer / Jack Avery

Still hear you, dear guitar man, elven- eyed wise, quick bright humourist, deep soul: the world is much less without you, friend.

I mourn the loss of one of the gentlest souls I ever knew. My deepest sympathies to his family.

Adam Russell


This is a letter that came from Adam's file at work.  An area manager of the B.C. Liquor Distribtion Branch kindly passed it on to us.  We have removed all names except Adam's.


Hello  ,

Adam went above and beyond for a customer while working on February 17 2011.

An elderly customer ran into the store and came up to the customer service desk, she was frantic and out of breath. She was concerned that she had left her wallet behind when she had purchased items earlier in the day. The elderly women appeared pale and very upset. I asked all the staff if they had seen the woman's wallet. None of the staff had seen a wallet left behind. Adam asked the women where else she had been in the mall and he suggested she ask at the bakery as they had the mall lost and found. As the women started to run out of the store Adam asked if he could go with her.

Adam returned to the store 20 minutes later, he said he had escorted the women and they had retraced her steps from where she had last had her wallet. Adam eventually went to her residence, across the street, where they found her wallet.

I believe that the elderly women's health was in danger. This elderly woman running and frantic could have been life threatening. Adam calmed the women down and escorted her to slowly retrace her steps. Adam found out in conversation with the women that she was 90 years old.

Adam is an exceptional employee with a generous heart and exemplary customer service skills. Working with Adam is a pleasure and I am very proud to have someone of his calibre on our team.

Manager, BC Liquor Store 136
__________________________________________
#158-4255 Arbutus Street, Vancouver Be V6J 4Rl
Tel: 6046601704 Fax: 604734 79S3

Adam was the kind of person we need more of in the world. Thoughtful, kind, intelligent, caring and open. I'll miss him.

I am so sorry to hear this news. We were in the same class together at Ideal, and I remember Adam as being very funny, thoughtful and always generous with his kindness. My thoughts are with his family.

We are saddened and shocked by this loss.  Adam will be warmly remembered by our family.  We wish for peace for all that knew and loved him
Jessica, Jay, Sam and Amelia

I am so sorry to learn of Adam"s passing. I remember him as an iconoclast, someone who was unique and his own person. From an early age he was a curious and caring person and as he matured  he followed his passions and lived life his way.Thinking about Adam makes me smile with tears in my eyes. I think his energy will be with us forever. John McMullan

Adam was a beautiful person. He was uniquely warm, kind, supportive and sensitive.  He had a great sense of humor, a keen intelligence and a strong sense of social justice.  He loved music and had great taste in it.  He introduced me to one of my favorite albums - a classic by Lenny Breau. I regret that I never heard him play much because I'm told that he had become an accomplished guitarist.  He was extremely well read and his vocabulary was a source of wonder.  I have such fond memories of walking with him in the endowment lands and near Ideal school, talking with him over coffee, listening to music with him at my mom's house and, always, laughing. I consider myself lucky to have known him and had him as a friend.  I send my deepest condolences to his family.

We are so sorry for this loss. Adam was such a kind and generous person. It is difficult to understand why he had to leave us so early. Joe and Deanna

OBITUARY

Adam Cy Russell

12 November, 1970 – 5 October, 2012

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