Robert Lowell Russell, long time Valley resident, passed quietly in his sleep on Saturday morning, October 31, 2015. Renowned for his wit and wisdom, Bob enjoyed regaling family, friends and strangers with his many stories and anecdotes. He was born in Granada, Colorado on February 11, 1927. The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl were to shape his young life until 1937 when the family relocated to the San Luis Valley, part of the resettlement program in the Waverly community.

Bob married his boyhood sweetheart, Phoebe Houlton, in 1949 and they quickly produced 5 happy adventurous children… He particularly favored his youngest child (who is writing this part of the story). Bob infused life with humor and taught his family the virtues of honesty, personal integrity, hard work and fun.
Bob’s working career spanned a variety of jobs across Colorado, including janitor, wheat harvesting and prospecting for uranium. In 1956, they moved back to Waverly into their permanent family home. He always wanted his kids to ‘like each other’, and every weekend, he’d gather the family and take them to the mountains, where the love of nature as well as the family bond, was permanently cemented.

In 1957, Bob went to work for the Colorado Department of Highways in Alamosa. As project Engineer, he took pride in the fact that he worked on every highway that leads out of the San Luis Valley. Bob retired from the highway department in 1985 after 28 years of service.

One of Bob’s lasting legacies was his love of hunting, fishing and camping. Although he didn’t come from a family of hunters, with slow deliberation and observation of a variety of big game, this self-taught hunter soon had a rifle in each son’s hands. Bob mentored not only his own children, but many other aspiring hunters.
Bob was a creative entertaining poet and was frequently heard whistling and singing his distinctive songs which will be sorely missed... His love of geology and hunting for arrowheads was instilled in his children from an early age.

Bob is survived by his lovely wife, Phoebe, and five children: Steven (Mary) Russell, Sally (David “Jake”) Powell, Daniel (Carol) Russell, Scott Russell, and Jocelyn (Michael Dubail) Russell, niece Leslie (Norman) Dutra and nephew Kenton Russell.

Grandchildren include Jesse Russell, Brandi (Powell) Goff, Brooke Powell, Rochelle Russell, Brandon Russell, Lindsay (Russell) Lininger, Jason Russell, Heather Russell, Misty (Russell) Brown, Jay Lillpop, Dane Lillpop, and Quinn Russell. Bob also had 15 great grandchildren and cousins David and Kristen Osborn also called him Grandpa.

His cousins Martha Vinick and Nancy Pennel were particularly dear to him. The Houlton nieces and nephews also were very attached to Uncle Bob. They include Liz Lawrence, Annie Stump, Becky Van Vleet, Debbie Smith, Bobby Houlton, Susie Spach, Tom Houlton, Brenda Kelley and Laurie Van Lyssel.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Bill, grandson Nicky Russell and niece Kathy Houlton.
There will be a formal Memorial Celebration for Bob at a later date… His family would like time to compile a befitting tribute for a most amazing man! You may all plan on a celebration infused with humor, which was Bob’s claim to fame.

Bob especially loved the San Luis Valley and felt there was no better place on earth to live. In light of that, the family requests donations to the newly formed Society Hall in Alamosa, which will offer the people of the community an events center for gatherings and also celebrating the arts. Donations can be made to Society Hall, PO Box 1885, Alamosa, Colorado 81101 or call 719-580-7838.

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