Russ was the person that would always be able to assist in any way he could.  That could be subbing on a bus route, or assisting when needed. He had the ability to mingle with people and  have a joke to tell. We will miss him.

Tami, I am so sorry to hear about your husband’s death. Prayers for your whole family. 

Russ and I became friends when he moved to Belding to live with his best friend Mike in the early 90's. The two of them quickly hit it off with our pack of small town, cronies. Russ and I were, by far, the cheapest in the group. :) We would oftentimes call each other to make plans to head out to Grand Rapids to the Hot-n-Now to get thier $2 combo meals before hitting the 29th St. theater in Grand Rapids to see the $2, Tuesday specials. On the drive there and back, Russ would drive super slow to see how many cars would line up behind us. We would makes bets on how many there would be left behind us by the time we reached where we were going. I remember the number of cars climbing up to 12 vehicles on one trip. Once we hit that number 12, we kept trying to beat it with even more cars.  :D  We laughed a lot and had so much fun on those trips. Russ was a great friend to me during that time in our lives. I remember meeting my future husband during those years and Russ having a serious "Is he 'the one'? Do you two really love each other?" talk prior to me getting married. I laughed when he did it, but realized later in life that he was just being Russ, the good friend who wanted what was best for his friend - me.  After I got married my husband and I moved out of state and Russ came to visit us. He drove about 5 hours one way just to see us. We ended up losing touch over the years, but were able to see each other again, thanks to social media. When we got together again, Russ was still the friend I remembered. He and I cracked jokes that were made from memories and relived humor that we shared. We even got together with a couple of the other cronies for a cheap lunch at Taco Bell. All of us made jokes about the cheap food and Russ took a few pictures....and then, in true Russ style, posted the pics to social media with captions. Never a dull moment. :D I'll miss him and  won't ever forget the friendship he and I shared.

Going to miss seeing Russ around the High School. He always had something funny to say to brighten anyone's day. 


Russ was always a jokester, he loved scarring the bus drivers any way he could.  In the winter he would throw snow balls at our windshields, or get on our buses and turn everything on so when we started the buses alarms would go off or wipers started swishing. He loved pulling out seats way up so we would bust out knees as we tried to sit down. He would sneak up behind the buses and open the back doors so the buzzers would go off, or as you were slowly backing up come up and hit the bus to scare us... He would leave little gifts like bugs or glitter sprinkles.. But what I loved best about Russ is he always had a hug if you needed one and a big ol smile to brighten your day. I found out just a few years ago that Russ and I and his wife Tami all worked together at a plastic company in our younger days..I will truley miss you Russell. God gained a great man and I'm sure you will be pulling your pranks in heaven.. Tell Rod hi from me big guy. R.I.P

My deepest sympathies to your family. Russ always had a smile on his face and could always make you laugh! He brightened our days when he stopped by to say hello and he will be missed.  Praying for peace and comfort during these difficult days. 

Russ always put a smile on your face and will be missed by many at Wayland Union Schools.

OBITUARY

Russell Scott Porteous

November 9, 1969 – December 13, 2021

Kubiak-Cook Funeral Services - Wayland Chapel

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