Frank Russell

Born on the 4th of July in 1928, Frank Russell was a very proud patriot who loved his country and was proud of being born on Independence Day. He was born on a small farm in Garrard County, Kentucky to Grover Cleveland and Margaret Holtzclaw Russell. He was the middle child of seven children. Bring raised during the Depression taught Frank to live simply and not depend on material things. He grew up next door to a small Baptist Church where his family were devoted members of the church. His mother played the organ and taught her children to love the Lord.

In 1945, at the age of 17, Frank persuaded his father to let him join the Navy at the end of the war. He is officially a WWII veteran. He enjoyed traveling the world and sailed to every continent except Antarctica. He had a lot of fun and had a great sense of adventure. His independence and wild undertakings sometimes got him in trouble with the military. He retired from the Navy in 1965.

At the end of his enlistment, Frank was stationed in Japan where he met Shizuko (Susie). After he left the military, he returned to Japan and they were married. They settled in Kentucky. They had one daughter, Molly. After leaving the Navy, Frank became a Merchant Sailor in Vietnam during the war.

In August of 1972, Frank left Vietnam and settled his family in Poway, California. He became a long-distant truck driver, traveling across the country and visiting every state in the continental United States. He retired in 1997.

In 2019, Susie passed away after almost 55 years of marriage. Frank never got over her death. Frank passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 6, 2025.

Frank was fiercely independent, fearless, and tough as nails. He has a zeal for lie and a bold sense of adventure. He was very proud of his Southern heritage and never lost his accent.

He is survived by his daughter, Molly; his son-in-law, Patrick (Temecula, CA); his granddaughter, Sydney,  her husband, Will and great-grandson, William (San Diego, CA); his grandson, Bryce (Temecula, CA); and his sister, Peggy Ann Scalf (Port St. Lucie, FL).