John Russell
John Russell, 63, died peacefully at his home at Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 18, 2007.
Born Nov. 2, 1943, at Marion, he was the son of Lysle and Faye Russell.
On May 30, 1975, he married Jo Anne Hamilton at Kingsville, Texas.
He was a retired professional geologist.
John was a 1961 graduate of Marion High School and received a B.S. and M.S. in geology from Kansas State University in 1966 and 1967. He earned a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Nebraska in 1974.
He was employed the Kansas Department of Transportation at Topeka from 1967-1971. From 1971-1987, he was a faculty member in the department of geosciences at Texas A&I University, Kingsville, Texas, where he was instrumental in creating baccalaureate and master's degree programs in geology and served as chairman for eight years.
During his tenure at the university, John was director of the South Texas Energy Research and Development Center and director of the Analytical Instruments Laboratory, which he established through acquisition of federal and private grants.
He also was an independent consultant for governmental agencies and private industry, performing land use studies, water resources investigations, and studying the agricultural and engineering properties of soils.
He conducted geologic field trips in Texas and northern Mexico for the Geographical Society of America, the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, the Corpus Christi Geological Society, and the Texas Academy of Sciences.
John joined Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, in 1987, where he conducted and managed technical assistance and research work in the geosciences for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission high-level nuclear waste geologic repository program.
In 1992, he moved with his family to Oakton, Va., were he served as the director of Southwest Research Institute's Technical Support Washington, D.C., office and assistant to the president of the Center for Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulation of decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from 1997 until his retirement in March 2006.
After retiring, he moved with his wife to Yuma, Ariz.
He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (charter member, Division of Environmental Geosciences), and the Texas State Society.
He was a loving and supportive husband, father, brother, grandfather, and uncle and a passionate and inspirational teacher who loved to share his knowledge with others.
Survivors include his wife, Jo Anne of Yuma, Ariz.; two sons, Chris Russell of Riviera, Texas, and Clint and Vickie Russell of Cavalier, N.D.; sister and brother-in-law, Jeanette and John Rupp of Marion; four grandchildren; niece and her husband, Laura and Dan Baldwin and three great-nephews, all of Marion.
Funeral services were Sunday afternoon at Marion Christian Church with the Rev. Carl Helm officiating. Burial was in Marion Cemetery.
Memorials have been established with the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, in care of Zeiner Funeral Home, Marion.
An everlasting memorial can be seen at http://jlr.georockdoc.com.
— paid obituary
