Raymond Gerald Russell

Raymond Gerald Russell passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, at The South Muskoka Memorial Hospital, Bracebridge, with his family around him at the age of 85 years. 

He is the most loved husband of Mary Dianna Russell (nee McRae) and father to Michael and Lyn (nee Keatley), Jamie and Young-Eun (nee Kim), and Chris and Marcia (nee Feddes). Raymond was predeceased by his son Darrel James, 1965, and his parents Marie Wimmer (Russell), father Raymond George Russell and step-father William Wimmer. He is survived by his sister Arlene St. Dennis (Alberta). Ray always loved children, and he was a doting grandfather to grandchildren Jordan, Gabriel and Romy, and to great-granddaughter Emersyn. He will be fondly remembered by his many nieces, nephews, and a large extended family of cousins. 

Born in Ontario, Ray moved to Alberta where he spent much of his youth. As a young man, he worked as a cowboy in Alberta and came to Ontario in 1959, finding the love of his life on a blind date and remaining here happily married for 60 years, settling first in Hamilton and then Hagersville. After a short time at the Hamilton Stelco plant, he found his niche as a truck driver, enjoying the open road where his natural curiosity for learning how things worked and his knack for noting the details of all the things he saw and experienced added colour to his well-told stories for most of his life. Ray had a love for socializing and a talent for being able to talk with people from all walks of life. He enjoyed playing Euchre and going to dances with his wife in their younger years, seldom missing a dance at the Laidlaw social Club in Hagersville. As a father, he was a regular at the boys’ sports games and could out-shout many in the stands cheering the boys on. He was an entertainer, and that included singing and playing the guitar and calling for country dances in his youth, many times arriving home just in time to change clothes to start work in the fields pitching hay. He enjoyed it all and loved to recount the stories.

In 1987, he and his wife along with three teenage sons and with his cousin Bob and Johnette Ollman, purchased Denne’s Marina in Kilworthy, where he spent 20 years adding to his story collection about the trials and tribulations and often funny events of being a Marina owner and operator. Through it all, his faith was strong as an active member of the Knights of Columbus and a fervent volunteer for St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church for over 37 years. He remained a very active member of St Vincent de Paul until his passing.

A Visitation and Funeral to honour Raymond's life will be held at St. Paul’s Church, Gravenhurst on Saturday, October 26th, 2024, with visitation from 10:00 am -11:00am, and funeral service at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Vincent De Paul in care of St Paul's Roman Catholic Church, Gravenhurst or a charity of your choice.

Ray was a gentleman who lived his life fully and with joy; he was passionate and enthusiastic about his faith, family, people, life and all the stories in it. Never to be forgotten.

St. Vincent DePaul: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/48068