Robert Lee (“Bob”) Russell, 89, of Fort Scott, KS, was surrounded by family when he was called home to be with his Savior on August 24, 2025. He was born June 21, 1936 at home in Redfield, KS to Grant Eugene Russell and Echo Mae (Neth) Russell. Bob graduated as valedictorian from Uniontown High School in 1954.
In 1958, he left the family farm where he had worked alongside his father and joined the army. During his time in the service, he trained as a radio repairman in the army signal corps and was stationed in France and Germany. He earned the rank E-5 prior to completing his service and returned home in 1961.
He married his one true love and best friend, Alvena Carol Bloom, on April 22, 1962. During their 60 years of marriage, they reared their three daughters, Laurie, Barbie, and Shelly, with faith and strong family bonds. As a family, they were active in Grace Baptist Tabernacle and undertook many memorable family adventures.
Bob had an impressive and wide-ranging career. After his military service, he was the morning DJ at KMDO radio, where he was an integral part of production in a variety of roles over the years. Because of his considerable mechanical and electronic expertise, he was afforded the opportunity to work as a contractor for NASA at Cape Canaveral, FL during the Space Race of the 60’s. In this capacity, he worked in telemetry on the Apollo missions, including the Apollo 11 moon landing. After returning to Kansas, for a brief time he was the proprietor of Bob’s Fix-it Shop, on East Wall Street, where he repaired small appliances. The Kansas City Power and Light power plant in La Cygne, KS was where he spent the rest of his career as a pneumatic instrument technician. Upon his retirement from KCP&L in 1994, he built their ideal home in the country, just south of Fort Scott.
Bob embraced the role of a faithful steward of God’s creation, and loved all things outdoor – gardening, hunting, fishing, and just appreciating the beauty around him. He was an expert woodworker and craftsman and was committed to preserving traditional practices and ways of life. Bluegrass music was a particularly enjoyable pastime, and he was a regular at bluegrass festivals and performances.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Alvena Carol Russell, his parents, Grant and Echo Russell, and a brother, Gail Russell. He is survived by his daughter, Laurie Ann Center and her husband, Bill of Lolo, MT; his daughter, Barbara Lynn Johnson, of Fort Scott, KS; and his daughter, Dr. Sharon Michelle (Shelly) Allen and her husband, Brett, of Fountain, CO. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Grant Center and wife, Pearl, of Lolo, MT, Lindsey LaRocque and husband, Brandon, of Missoula, MT, Katie, Kellie, and Keriann Johnson, all of Fort Scott, Kylie Allen, of Fountain, CO, and Zaine Allen and wife, Ash, of Colorado Springs, CO. Other survivors include five great-grandchildren (and another on the way), his brother, Jerry Russell, of Fort Scott, and his sister, Shirley Thompson, of Kechi, KS.
A celebration of life services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, August 30th at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Private burial will take place in the Centerville Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Pioneer Harvest Fiesta and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.