Walter Russell

Walter A. Russell passed away in Bozeman, MT on September 3, 2009 after an illness with cancer. Walt was born on October 15, 1929 to Roy and Alice Wood Russell in Glasgow, Montana. He graduated from Glasgow High School in 1947. He served in the Korean War as a cryptographer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and was honorably discharged in March of 1953 in San Francisco, CA. After serving for two years, Walt enrolled at what was then Montana State College in Bozeman, MT in 1953 and graduated with a bachelor#8217;s degree in electrical engineering in 1957. While attending college he met his future wife, Jo Ann M. Rutter, a Hinsdale girl. She graduated from Montana State in 1956 and they married in August of that year. Jo Ann taught high school in Manhattan, Montana until Walt graduated from Montana State in 1957. Walt, a Registered Professional Engineer, was employed by the Montana Power Company for thirty-one years from l957 until he retired in 1988 as the Executive Vice President of Operations. Walt and Jo raised six children as they traveled Montana during Walt#8217;s career. Walt was passionate about his work, his family, and his activities. He was a responsible professional, a dedicated husband, a loving father, and an active basketball player, bicyclist, and pool shark. He was appreciated for his dry wit and light-hearted kindness. Preceding Walt in death were sisters Fern Ophus and Viola Reinhardt. Surviving are a sister, Betty Stall in Oklahoma City and brothers James in Tampa, Florida and Max in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Walt#8217;s wife Jo Ann survives him and lives in Bozeman. Walt is preceded in death by his firstborn daughter, Mary C. Birkelo of Moorpark, CA, who passed away in 2007. He is survived by five children: Sally Russell of Bethel, AK, Theresa Wise of Salisbury, MD, Suzanne Russell of Bozeman, John Russell of Salt Lake City and Donna Russell-Arguedas of Wellington, FL. Also surviving are twelve grandchildren. Vigil will be held Monday evening, September 7th at 7pm at Resurrection University Catholic Church in Bozeman. Funeral Mass will be at 11am on Tuesday, September 8 at the same location. Services will also take place in Glasgow at St. Raphael#8217;s Catholic Church on Thursday morning at 10:30am, followed by interment at Hillview Cemetery in Hinsdale, MT. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to The Walt Russell memorial fund at Bozeman Senior Center at 807 North Tracy Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59715-2813.