Russell, Robert C.
Russel, RObert C. - d. 25 Aug 1998
Services for Robert C. Russell, a founding member of the local Human Rights Commission, 71, of Madison Avenue, will be 11 a.m. Friday at Stith Funeral Home by the Revs. Tim Mathis and Doug Sharon. Burial will be in Bellevue Cemetery with military rites.
Russell, 71, of Madison Avenue died Tuesday at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center. 'I'm going to miss him,' said Boyle County Judge-Executive Tony Wilder. ``Robert always had the public in mind. He tackled two tough jobs when he allowed himself to be appointed to the Human Rights Commission and Board of Adjustments.''
Russell was a member of the Board of Adjustments at the time of his death. Earlier this year, Russell resigned from the Human Rights Commission. He was a founding member of that commission. Russell served on the Danville Central Labor Council and was past president and past political director of the local chapter of Communication Workers of America. Russell volunteered at the Danville-Boyle County Senior Citizen Center, was a member of Telephone Pioneers of America and was active in the Democratic Party. He was Kentucky Colonel. ``He was a person who was very interested in being a good citizen,'' said Wilder. ``He showed he really cared about the worker.'' Russell was retired from BellSouth where he had been a toll test-board operator. He was a part-time cattle farmer and an Army veteran of World War II. He was a member of First Baptist Church, Broadway, and had served on their personnel committee. He was a graduate of Parksville High School.
Born July 26, 1917, in Stanford, he was a son of the late Robert L. and Ellen Marcene Newsom Russell. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen Crain Russell; a son, David C. Russell of Graham, N.C.; two daughters, Joyce Caskey of Dickson, Tenn., and Sandy Underwood of Dallas; two sisters, Mildred McLeod of Houston and Marilyn J. Lampkin of Louisville; and five grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Jakie Holmes, Ben Henson, Robert Russell, G.G. Harmon, Andy Parker, Tony Newsom, Dean Sapp and Chris Smith. Honorary pallbearers are Don Rightmyer, Harold Davenport, Hubert Preston, Quincie Blevins, Jim Love and Bobby Buchanan.