Thomas E. Russell

Thomas E. Russell, 80, of Port Charlotte, FL and Wakefield, RI, passed away peacefully, with his loving wife of 55 years and daughter by his side, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. The son of the late Leo Joseph and Margaret Conley Russell, Tom grew up in Gasport, NY where he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball. He graduated from DeSales Catholic High School in Lockport, NY in 1963. He followed in the footsteps of his late brother, Patrick Joseph Russell, who passed away on September 27, 2024, attending St. Bonaventure University where he joined the Army ROTC program. There, he met his wife, Judith Ann “Judy” Beuckman Russell. Upon graduation in 1967 with a BBA in Accounting, Tom was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. He immediately pursued advanced training in Fort Sill, OK prior to receiving orders to Fort Knox, KY. Ultimately, he was deployed to Vietnam in July 1968. On January 21st, 1969, while on R&R from the Vietnam War, he proposed to Judy in Oahu, Hawaii. Upon completing his active duty, he returned to Buffalo, NY and started his career at Price Waterhouse as a staff accountant. On April 25th, 1970, Tom and Judy were married at Holy Cross Church in Rochester, NY. They moved from Buffalo to Rochester in September 1972 where Tom spent the next three decades working in banks in a variety of auditing positions.

A lifelong devout Catholic, Tom served as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and a charter member of the Knights of Columbus Council 10758 and the Fourth Degree Assembly. From 1997 until just before his passing, Tom was the Chairman and CEO of Our Lady of Kilgore, Inc., a not-for-profit foundation, that supports fundraising initiatives and scholarships for Catholic schools and parishes throughout the United States. Integrating his faith and profession, Tom concluded his career as property manager of St. Jude’s II Apartments, a rent-subsidized senior living community in Rochester. He was loved by his residents and known for hosting special events and creating memories for the community members he served.

In 2014, Tom and Judy moved to RI to be closer to their daughter, Tricia Daigle and grandchildren, Addie and Jake Russell Daigle. In January 2015, they decided to become “snowbirds” spending half of the year in Port Charlotte, FL and half the year in Rhode Island. Not one to sit around during retirement, Tom spent many years as a member of the car relocation team for both Enterprise and Hertz. He enjoyed playing golf every chance he could with his beloved friends.

Tom will be remembered for his “addiction” to popcorn (yes, he got out of jury duty by claiming this addiction), his love of Zweigle’s “Pop Open” hot dogs and “boiling hot” New England clam chowder, as well as playing Cribbage and Euchre with his friends. Some of his fondest memories include eating King crab legs with Sal Moraldo and enjoying Southern Comfort Manhattans with Jim Cumming while trying to win the champagne cork popping distance game. He shared his love of Mexican Train dominoes with Tricia, Addie, and Jake. Addie will always remember wiping her grandpa out in “penny a point”. Most weekends, Tom could be found enjoying televised major golf tournaments, often pulling for a well-liked underdog that had risen to the top of the leaderboard. A proud Dad, he often told people he never played at the prestigious Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, but walked the course serving as Tricia’s caddy for a youth golf tournament. He also felt so fortunate to have been able to attend two US Open tournaments in person. On Saturdays in the Fall, you could predictably find Tom cheering on the Notre Dame football team and, on Sundays, rooting for the Buffalo Bills. There was always a wager to be had between Tom and Jim when the Dolphins played the Bills. How fitting that the day Tom passed, the Buffalo Bills beat the Miami Dolphins! In September 2024, Tom checked a trip to South Bend, IN to see a Notre Dame football game in person off his bucket list, thanks to his “other daughter”, Amanda White. Tom loved to travel. England, the Bahamas, Spain, Australia and New Zealand were some favorites on the list. On November 4, 2022, Tom fulfilled a lifelong dream of thanking Australian Vietnam Veterans for their help and support of US soldiers in the Vietnam War with a memorable lunch celebration, presentation of US/Australian flag lapel pins, and a flag exchange in Sydney.

Tricia, Addie, and Jake were Tom’s everything. His “love language” was making it a priority to attend all of their extracurricular activities. From father-daughter dinner dances to theatrical productions to holiday concerts to sporting events all year long, he would do his very best to be everywhere. Tricia will forever remember her dad driving to Boston University to see her play in her first college softball game and taking her out for a wonderful filet mignon dinner at the Top of the Hub, in awe of the beautiful, panoramic view of the city from the revolving restaurant on the 52nd floor. Tom will always be remembered as #1 fan of the Belmont Market women’s adult softball team, cheering on the team even if Tricia wasn’t there. Jake affectionately called his grandpa his “little brother” and Tom called Jake his “big brother”. They had such a special bond - riding around town in Tom’s 1980 Cadillac Eldorado convertible, perfecting lessons in grilling steaks, riding nearly every single ride at Walt Disney World together, and swimming with dolphins at Discovery Cove.

The family would like to thank the doctors (especially Dr. Emmy Mahoney and Dr. Brian Mikolasko), nurses, respiratory therapists, and rehabilitation staff at South County Hospital and Encompass Health for the compassionate care they provided during the last two months, as well as the Hope Hospice nurses and two incredibly loving caregivers/CNAs, Virgen and Thalia, for making it possible for Tom to spend his last week on earth at home, where he wanted to be.

Calling hours will be held on Saturday, September 27, 2025 from 9:00 to 10:15 AM in the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St, Wakefield, RI 02879, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM at Christ the King Church, 180 Old North Rd, Kingston, RI 02881, with Rev. Jared Costanza officiating. The Mass will be live-streamed at: https://ctkri.org/funerals/. Interment with military honors will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Candorful, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Tom’s cousin-in-law, Pat Hubbell, that provides military and career transition support to US Veterans, Transitioning Military, and Military Spouses. (https://donorbox.org/candorful-honoring-tom-russell-vietnam-war-patriot).