Russell Dean O'Banion

Russ Dean O’Banion, or ‘Rusty’ to his family, was born to William and Maurine O’Banion in Los Angeles, California. As a child, he grew up with four siblings in Manhattan Beach, California, and spent his early years playing football, basketball and baseball.

Shortly after graduating from Aviation High School in 1972, he started his career at Chevron in the El Segundo refinery as a pipefitter. Russ was described by coworkers and close friends to be strong as a bull, yet sweet as a teddy bear. He was also known for his practical jokes he played on his co-workers and his sometimes dark sense of humor. Russ was a proud member of the O.C.A.W. Union where he served as a Chief Steward and past president.

Prior to starting a family, Russ spent many weekends in the great outdoors. He loved to ski Mammoth Mountain and backpack throughout the Southern Sierras. He was lucky enough to climb Mt. Whitney twice. He enjoyed playing in the Chevron softball leagues and participating in tournaments with his favorite team, The Burrachos.

In 1979, Russ hosted a Christmas party and met his soon to be wife Tracey Ells. They married in 1987 in Hermosa Beach, California, and had two children. He was a devoted father to Kate and Tim. He loved to attend concerts and frequented the movies with his family. He also loved to read and listen to his extensive collection of music. After forty-two years of work, he retired in 2015.

In his retirement, Russ and Tracey travelled to Hawaii often and spent many relaxing days by the pool at their second home in Palm Desert. He loved to play poker on his computer and exchange spirited emails about politics and the environment.

On September 24, 2020, Russ passed away in his home of an apparent heart attack. Russ leaves behind his wife of 33 years, Tracey, his daughter Kate (Portland, OR.) and son Tim (Gardena, CA.), his dog, Shadow, and his three siblings, Dianne Sheldon (Joe), Jenny Benedict (Bruce), and Dan O’Banion (Terrie). He was preceded by the death of his parents and sister Nancy Witt.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either: The Heifer International, www.heifer.org or Long Beach Rescue Mission, www.lbrm.org.