Russell C. Shura

Passed away peacefully in his sleep at home in Sebastopol in the early morning hours of November 29th, 2010. He was 84 years old. A resident of the City of Sebastopol since 1946, Russ was originally from the hamlet of Roosevelt, in Nassau County, Long Island, New York. After graduating from high school, Russ joined the Navy in 1944 and was sent to serve as an aviation ordnanceman at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Santa Rosa. He stayed in the area after the war, married a girl from a longtime Sonoma County family, Delores Fouts from Forestville, and started a family. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Nola; and his seven children: sons Dan Shura, Jim Shura, Bill Shura, and Darin Love, and daughters Linda Kammer, Karleen Braunstein, and Patty Love; as well as 17 grandchildren, 39 great grandchildren, and eight great-great grandchildren. In the 1940s, 50s and 60s, Russ supported his growing family working hard for a variety of west county businesses, including Sturgeon's Sawmill and Rodney Miller Trucking; a skilled mechanic, he also owned and operated a Texaco service station in downtown Sebastopol. While Russ never stopped contributing to his community, as a co-founder of the city's Little League program in 1955, and a Cub Scout Scoutmaster, to cite just two examples, it took him some time to eventually find his real vocation. One of Russ's earliest memories was seeing the Fourth of July parade down Main Street in Roosevelt, Long Island, an event highlighted by the participation of the local fire department. From that time forward, according to the story he often told his children, Russ wanted nothing more than to be a fire fighter. That dream became reality in 1960 when he joined the Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department. Russ was eventually made fire chief and, in 1977, after working tirelessly at fundraising for the new Sebastopol Fire House and being involved in a wide range of fire service projects, he was chosen as the first full-time fire chief in Sebastopol. A Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Resolution from 1992, issued upon the occasion of Russ's retirement after 32 years of service, states that "Chief Russ Shura has dedicated his adult life to the City of Sebastopol and its environs," and lists several accomplishments to back up that assertion: e.g. his being named Sebastopol Citizen of the Year in 1977; his fundraising efforts; his involvement with United Way; his liaison work with the Red Cross and Disaster Preparedness; his acquisition of fire equipment to make the Sebastopol Department one of the best equipped in the west county, including picking up and driving back a new ladder truck from Wisconsin; etc. Russ loved his family, his community and his country. He enjoyed solving crossword puzzles, traveling around the western United States in his fifth wheel trailer, and hiking in beautiful places like Glacier National Park, as well as taking daily walks with Nola and his neighbors. Ever generous with his time and resources, ever ready to spend time with his extended family and serve his community, Russ Shura lived his dream as a family man, a fire chief and an exemplary citizen. Those of us lucky enough to have known him, or lived or worked with him, will remember his sense of humor, his dedication and integrity, his great capacity for kindness and generosity, and his expansive spirit. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 4th, at Sebastopol Veterans Building at 11:00 a.m. Reception following the service will be held at the same location. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in Russ's name to the Sebastopol Volunteer Fire Department.