Obituary of Russell Harold Johns

Surrounded by loved ones in the comfort of his home, Russell Harold Johns passed away on December 22, 2022 at the age of 84. He was a husband, a father, an uncle, a grandfather, and friend to so many. Russell was called by many names: ‘Russ’, ‘Dad’, and ‘Grampy’ to name a few. One adjective that transcended them all was being a great man. Born on May 5, 1938 in Albany, New York to Pauline K. Johns (née Williams) and Harold A. Johns, Russ had a thirst for knowledge and an incredible ability to make everyone around him feel seen and heard. Graduating from Chatham, NY High School in 1955, he developed an affinity for baseball, which he shared with all four of his grandsons. After graduation, Russ served in the United States Navy from February of 1956 to June of 1959. Through Fleet Sonar School in Key West, Florida, he was stationed on the USS Hickox DD 673 and the USS Charles S. Ware DD 865. He was honorably discharged Sonarman 2nd Class. For nearly 60 years of his life, he was accompanied by his wife and best friend, Janet. Meeting at a wedding in Devils Lake, North Dakota, both agreed it was “love at first sight”. They were married on June 15, 1963, two years after that memorable day. He graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN with a BA in Economics and Business Management (1966), as well as a graduate degree from the University of Minnesota School of Industrial Relations (1967). This led him to a fulfilling career at Union Carbide Corporation. Working for 31 years as a Human Resources Professional, Russ and Jan traveled many places, from West Virginia to New York City to Connecticut. The couple also spent two years on an assignment in Kuwait before retiring in April of 1998. In his free time, Russ belonged to the United States Junior Chamber, acting as President in South Charleston, West Virginia, a Vice President for the state of West Virginia, and an Honorary Senator. He loved to read, golf, fish, play bridge, and paint watercolor. He is survived by his wife, Janet, three children (Marnee, Jason, and Lainie), son-in-law, Wolfgang, five grandchildren (Jackson, Keli, Rylan, Owen, and Brayden), and three dogs (Zoey, Zeus, and Zandy). Russ’s memorial service will take place at Faith Viera Lutheran Church (Viera, FL) on Wednesday, December 28 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make donations to: Cancer Care Centers of Brevard (Memorial donation in honor of Russell Johns) 1048 Harvin Way Rockledge, FL 32955