Thursday, January 30, 2020
America has lost a great hero. The South has lost a great Son. I have lost another powerful contributor to the tapestry of my own youth. You don't really have to know someone well to be inspired by them. Time spent in White Oak has always been a pleasure and an honor, for Southern hospitality was part of the fabric of the Jim Russell household. Very fond and warm memories that will last me a lifetime. I wish I could have heard some of his stories of flights during WWII back in my youth. He and I might have found a little more common ground... but I never knew. My deepest respect then and now for Mr. Russell and the great life lived and family he cherished. My deepest condolences for my longtime friends; his kids.
