Owen M. Russell

Owen M. Russell, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away on December 3, 2011, after a long struggle with multiple health problems. Despite numerous setbacks, he never lost his love for beautiful music, watching sporting events, and especially visits with family and friends. We, the members of his family, deeply feel his loss. It's a profound emptiness that will never be filled!

O. M. Russell (or Russell Russell as he preferred) was born on September 3, 1927 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. Fatherless from infancy, he grew up during the Depression and learned early on how to work hard and tell great stories. Poverty was only a temporary setback, as he made the best of a bad situation with pluck and drive, like the comic character Little Orphan Annie, whom he admired so much. Traveling on trains during the summers, Russell found odd jobs all over the country, including harvesting wheat and herding sheep. His love of adventure and desire to serve later merged when he enlisted at seventeen in the US Navy during WWII. Russell never saw action in the Pacific, but his tour on the aircraft carrier, the USS Cowpens, exposed him first hand to the joy and excitement of flight. He loved airplanes for the rest of his life and after returning to Arkansas, he quickly succeeded in two of his ambitions: to graduate from high school and to learn to fly!

For the next 50 years Russell embraced the cause of flying with passion and dedication. It led him to join the Air Force as a cadet in 1947 (graduating as a 2nd lieutenant in 1948), and after being stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas, it led him to meet the other love of his life, Helen Lois Thompson. They were married in 1949 and celebrated their 62nd anniversary earlier this year. In Helen Thompson Russell he found a true partner, with whom to share ups and downs, including two children, numerous transcontinental moves, and several attempts to quit smoking! (They both kicked the habit eventually.)

Russell's twenty plus years in the Air Force took him (and often his family) to many different places, from Korea (where he flew night missions on a F-82 during the Korean War), to Japan and Okinawa, to Florida (where he was thrilled to become the captain of an F-86—exceeding the speed of sound), to stints in Texas, Kansas, and finally New York (where he learned to fly another jet, the T-39, Sabreliner), before retiring as a Major in 1967. Leaving the Air Force allowed Russell to return to Austin (at least for a couple of years), but this one-time fighter pilot needed to develop new aviation and professional skills, in order to support his family (and put two kids through college.)

Once again, Russell's ambition to combine flying and public service was rewarded when he landed a job with the FAA. He and Helen started on a second professional adventure, leaving their grown children in Texas, as they moved first to Ohio, then to Oklahoma, then happily back to Texas in 1976. Russell's FAA titles over more than two decades included instructor, inspector, and safety expert, and often involved giving seminars and check rides. He thrived in the new setting, especially after he bought his own airplane, a Globe Swift, which Helen named Alice. Alice allowed Helen and Russell to travel around America visiting friends and family and through the years helped him maintain his handyman skills: Alice was definitely a "work in progress," and Russell was devoted to keeping her operational and beautiful.

He took all the members of the family on short flights for "$100 hamburgers" and convinced many of them to handle the controls. No one could forget the thrill of feeling Alice shoot up to the clouds when you pulled back the stick. Russell challenged some gutsy passengers with his acrobatic skills, and the stalls and rolls experienced with Russell piloting Alice were both scary and awesome. Two grandsons accompanied him to the giant flying convention at Oshkosh. Their stories are the once in a lifetime kind!

Russell and Helen eventually settled in San Antonio, their dream city, in 1978, and Russell continued to work for the FAA until 1995. Recognizing that his flying days would not go on forever, he sold Alice during the same year, but kept up his pilot's licenses until shortly before his death. With a daughter and granddaughter and their families in Austin, Russell and Helen returned in 1997 to the place they had been married forty years earlier and enjoyed living in Hyde Park for the next twelve years, until a severe illness left Russell unable to remain at home. Up to that point he had been a dedicated dog walker, vigorous ping pong wizard, charming harmonica player, kindly Kiwanian volunteer, and super star great grandfather.

Only a couple of weeks after celebrating his 60th wedding anniversary, Russell developed a terrible case of pneumonia and eventually moved to the Summit at Westlake in August 2009; for more than two years he was tenderly cared for by Helen, other members of the family, wonderful private care-givers (thank you so much Kay, Kimberly, Angelina, Alma, Gaylen and Tony!), and the excellent staff of the Summit.

Owen M. Russell is survived by his wife Helen Russell, children Ken Russell, Karen King, (and son-in-law Robert King), all from Austin, a brother William Russell (plus his wife Barbara} from Los Angeles, a granddaughter Irene Neumann, (plus her husband, Joerg Neumann and daughters Isabel and Sophia Neumann), from Seattle, a grandson Kevin King (plus his wife, Sarah King and children Taylor, Kathryn, and Jonathan King), from Springfield, Virginia, a grandson Michael King from Dallas, a grandson Ken Russell from Raleigh, and a granddaughter Robin Wingate (plus her husband George Wingate), from Memphis. (Additional survivors include numerous relatives by marriage, as well as a niece and four nephews from the Russell family.)

Russell was deeply loved and will be sorely missed!