Russ was born in Hawaii, and his first memory was of his parents’ emotional reaction to the Pearl Harbor attack underway. He went on to 12 years at Punahou School on his way to Princeton. Here, Russ played freshman tennis, majored in English, dined at Key and Seal, was active in Triangle and Theatre Intime, and was in Navy ROTC.

After four years in the Navy as a lieutenant junior-grade, Russ was drawn back to Punahou, where he taught, coached tennis, and met Dana, a fellow teacher. Exiled — no married faculty couples were permitted — they moved to the Singapore American School, where both taught for four years. Russ also briefly coached the Singapore Davis Cup tennis team. Then he went to graduate school at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a master’s degree in 1975 and a Ph.D. in medieval literature in 1979. He taught four years at Peru State College, Indiana, and then was lured to the University of Alaska, where he taught English until retirement in 1998.

Returning to Hattiesburg, Miss., Russ continued in Princeton Schools Committee work while he and Dana jointly taught medieval art and literature courses to senior groups. Russ loved teaching English, playing and coaching tennis, playing the clarinet, acting, and enjoying theater and opera.

Russ died Aug. 27, 2019. Our sympathies go to Dana and son Scott and his family.

Undergraduate Class of 1960