obituary for john russell
DESCRIPTION
Haizlip Funeral Home would like to thank you for entrusting your loved one to our care. We strive to fulfill your requests in a caring professional way. Rev. Leonard Fairley Eulogist Haizlip Funeral Home Greater First United Baptist Church 1409 Deep River Road High Point, North Carolina 27265 BasketballOfficials AlphaPhiAlphaFraternity,Inc. Pastor Tacuma S. Johnson Officiating Pastor LadiesofGreaterFirstUnitedBaptistChurchandBasketballOfficialsTRANSCRIPT
Active Pall Bearers VierlBanks WaltMcClain BernardClinton DougMitchell PonceGerald TerryMoore DonnieGray LarryRose TonyGreene CharlesWilliams
Honorary Pall BearersBasketballOfficials
AlphaPhiAlphaFraternity,Inc.
Flower BearersLadiesofGreaterFirstUnitedBaptistChurchandBasketballOfficials
Greater First United Baptist Church1409 Deep River RoadHigh Point, North Carolina 27265
Pastor Tacuma S. JohnsonOfficiating Pastor
Rev. Leonard FairleyEulogist
Haizlip Funeral Home206FourthStreet
HighPoint,NorthCarolina336-882-4134Fax:336-882-2807
www.haizlipfuneralhome.com
Haizlip Funeral Home would like to thank you for entrustingyour loved one to our care. We strive to fulfill your
requests in a caring professional way.
A Joyful JourneyJohn Russell
Administrator ~ Teacher ~ Mentor ~ Basketball Official
JohnRussellwasbornJune12,1930,inLaurinburg,N.C.,tothelateMazareneRussellandthelateJohnD.Jones.HedepartedthislifeonThursday,April22,2010atForsythMedical
ParkinWinston-Salem,N.C.HewasanativeofLaurinburg,NorthCarolina,andheandhisbrotherLutherRussell,livedwiththeirgrandmother,MariahRussellmostoftheirlives.HegraduatedfromLaurinburgInstitutewherehe,alongwithDr.FrancesFosterandF.H.McDuffie,Jr.wererearedbyF.H.McDuffie,Sr.presidentoftheschoolandhiswife,SammieSellarsMcDuffie,asbrothersandsisters.
Asascholasticstar,RussellwentontoreceiveaBachelorofSciencedegreefromNorthCarolinaCentralUniversityinDurham,N.C.andaMaster’sdegreefromtheUniversityofNorthCarolinaatGreensboro.Hecontinuedhisathleticcareerasamemberofthebasketballandtennisteams.HewasprivilegedtobecoachedbythelegendaryJohnMcLendonandworld–renownedLeroyT.Walker.
Aftercollege,RussellwasinductedintotheU.S.ArmyandservedasadrillinstructoratFortRucker,Alabama,andlaterbecameDirectorofSpecialServicesatFortBragg,NorthCarolinawiththerankofsergeant.Hereceivedanhonorabledischargein1955.AfterhisArmytourofduty,hewasemployedasacoachandteacheratPetersonHighSchoolinRedSprings,NorthCarolina.
In1963RussellacceptedajobatWilliamPennHighSchoolinHighPoint,NorthCarolinaasahistoryteacherandassistantbasketballcoach.Afteroneyear,hemovedtoWinston-SalemtobecomeateacherofSocialStudiesandserveasanassistantbasketballandfootballcoach.Ayearlater,hetookajobwiththefederalgovernmentasaVISTA(VolunteersinServicetoAmerica)trainingofficer.
RussellwassummonedbacktoWilliamPennHighSchoolbySamBurfordafterworkingwiththefederalgovernmentfortwoyearstoserveasDeanofStudentsandDirectorofAthletics.Heremainedthereuntiltheschoolclosed,andhe,alongwiththeotherstaff,movedtoT.WingateAndrewsHighSchool.HeleftAndrewsandbecameprincipalofOakviewElementarySchool.HelaterworkedinthecentralofficeasAssistantTransportationDirector.HewasaskedtoserveasprincipaloftheExtendedSchoolDayProgram.Underhissupervision,theExtendedSchoolDayProgramgraduatedhundredsofstudentswhootherwisewouldhavedroppedoutofschool.
In1970,RussellbecameapioneerforminoritybasketballofficialsbybecomingthefirstBlacktoofficiatefortheAtlanticCoastConference.HelaterservedaspresidentoftheACCOfficials’Associationfortenyears.HewasinductedintotheCentralIntercollegiateAthleticConferenceHallofFameandtheMid-EasternAthleticConferenceHallofFameasabasketballofficial.HewasappointedtoofficiateattheInternationalJonesCupBasketballTournamentintheRepublicofChina.HewasalsoappointedtorepresenttheU.S.Governmentbyconductingbasketball
Order of WorshipPrelude
Processional
Invocation...............................................................Minister
Selection...................................................................Choir
ScripturalReadings OldTestament................Isaiah 61: 1-3.........PastorMackH.L.McConnel NewTestament...........1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18......................Minister
PrayerofComfort .......................................PastorTacumaS.Johnson
Solo.............................................................Mr.KelvinPhillips
Reflections(3 minutes).............................................Dr.OtisTillman Mr.JimBurch Mr.F.H.McDuffieJr. Mrs.WandaEdwards
Acknowledgements................................................ChurchOfficial
ObituaryReading(Silently)
Solo.............................................................Mr.KelvinPhillips
Eulogy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rev. Leonard FairleyRecessional
Interment..................................................GuilfordMemorialPark Greensboro,N.C.
Inlieuofflowers,donationsmaybesentto:GreaterFirstUnitedBaptistChurch
1409DeepRiverRoadHighPoint,N.C.27265
“In Gratitude”
We the members of the Russell Family know and believe that “Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” not even death. In the midst of our sorrow, our cup truly overflows as we gratefully acknowledge the love and concern you have so fully shared with us. Our hearts are full of gratitude for the many acts of concern and sympathy expressed during our time of sorrow and bereavement. A special thank you to Pastor Johnson and the Greater First United family for their love and support.
Russell ‘G-Daddy” was our special gift from God, and we give thanks. Our strength is guided by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and we shall always remember with gratitude, your kind efforts to bring us comfort. We ask your continued prayers for our family. Thank you and may God richly bless each of you.
The Family of John Russell
John
Russ
ell
officiating clinics to train military personnel in Frankfurt, Germany, Izmir, Turkey, Athens,GreeceandAviano,Italy.
In 1979, First United Baptist Church elected Russell to serve as Chairman of its buildingcommittee.Heguidedthemembersthroughthedifficulttaskofpurchasinglandandoverseeingthebuildingofthechurch;servedasaTrusteeofFirstUnitedBaptistChurch,andalsotaughtSundaySchool.
In1989RussellretiredfromthepublicschoolsystemandacceptedapositionofSupervisorofBasketballOfficialsfortheMid-EasternAthleticConference.In2005,RussellwasinductedintotheGuilfordCountySportsHallofFame.
Russell is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, has served on numerous civic andcommunity boards, and received extensive honors and awards. He was politically active formanyyearsandwasaformercandidatefortheNorthCarolinaHouseofRepresentatives.Russellsuccessfullymanagedseveralcitycouncilmen’scampaignsandservedasLocal21ChairpersonfortheSelectiveServiceSystemofGuilfordCounty.
Hewasprecededindeathbyhisparents,onebrother;LutherRussellandonesister,ThelmaWare.
Heleavestocherishhismemory:adevotedwifeoffiftyeightyears,CarmelleRussellofthehome;threedaughters,JoannHawkinsofRaleigh,N.C.,WandaEdwards(Leon)ofCharlotte,N.C.,andCherylTurner(John)ofCharlotte,N.C.;twosons,JohnMalloy(Bernit’ta)ofRomeoville,Illinois and Ronald Russell (Marie) of Snellville, Georgia; one sister, Joyce Maxwell (Duane)of High Point, N.C.; three brothers-in-law, Albert Ware of High Point, N.C., Ralph Mitchell(Ruth)ofWalnutCove,N.C.andLloydMarvinMitchell(Monique)ofWashington,D.C.;fifteengrandchildren,SeanMalloy,TanyaJohnson,RashadMalloy,CarmenMcSwain,MariahWenz,StevenEdwards, JohnTurner, Jr.,MatthewEdwards,CaraElaineTurner, JoshuaRussell, JonCole Russell, Bradley Malloy, Bradford Malloy, Brent Malloy and Isabella Malloy; five greatgrandchildren, Thomas Garrett, D’ontray Johnson, Khary Malloy, Gabriel Malloy, BenjaminMalloyandahostofnieces,nephews,cousins,otherrelativesandfriends