Paul Martin Russ
November 30, 1928 ~ September 11, 2023
Born in:
Danbury, CT
Resided in:
Woodbridge, CT
Paul Martin Russ, 94, died as he lived, peacefully and with dignity at his home on September 11, 2023. Paul was born on November 30, 1928 in Danbury, Connecticut to the late Martin and Christine Holick Russ. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Jeanne, and three children from a previous marriage, Linelle Russ and Dale Russ, both of Seattle, and Scott (Beth) Russ of Auckland, New Zealand. Paul graduated from The Gunnery and Yale College. He served in the US Army before starting a 34-year career at Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET). Active in local Woodbridge politics, Paul served on the Amity Board of Education and the Woodbridge Board of Selectmen. For several years he was a volunteer, helping people with disabilities manage their finances and bill paying. A natural athlete and sports enthusiast, Paul was inducted to the Gunnery Athletic Hall of Fame for his baseball and football abilities. At Yale, he was a catcher for the baseball team. Off the field, the NY Yankees, the NY Giants and UCONN Women’s Basketball teams were his favorites. Paul will be greatly missed for his quiet demeanor and infectious smile. Private burial arrangements are in the care of BEECHER & BENNETT FUNERAL HOME, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Contributions in Paul’s memory may be made to the charity of one’s choice.
Dear Jeanne, please know we’re incredibly sorry and are thinking of you. Words cannot express how grateful we are to have known Paul.
Though born in the US, Paul always cherished his Slovak roots and ties to his Slovak relatives. He even took part in the “Summer School of Slovak Language and Culture” organised by the Comenius University of Bratislava and through his many visits he tried to embrace the history, culture and generally the heritage of his parents. Ivy League graduate who achieved much success in his professional career, yet in our eyes, he kept the humbleness of a Slovak. Leo Tolstoy once said “A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself.” That is why Paul’s true value is so high.
He will be deeply missed but greatly remembered.
Jan & Julia (for Paul’s Slovak relatives)