GORDON H. RUSS

Gordon Harry Russ Gordon, 94, of Tacoma, WA, beloved father of four, grandfather of nine, and great-grandfather of one, passed away Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at Tacoma General Hospital, where he was born on June 24, 1919, the youngest of six children of Perley Gould Russ and Bertha Isadora Russ. He attended Bryant Elementary and Jason Lee Junior High Schools, and graduated from Stadium High School in 1937. He attended College of Puget Sound (now University of Puget Sound) following high school graduation, but the lure of his life-long love of railroad locomotives and trains drew him to work for the C. M. St. P. & P. Railroad Company ("The Milwaukee Road"), where he first hired on in June 1937, and his father had worked as a locomotive engineer since 1905 for the Milwaukee's predecessor, the Tacoma & Eastern Railroad. Gordon was a veteran of the Second World War, enlisting in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1942, and ultimately serving in the Pacific theater. Returning from the WWII, Gordon continued his career at the Milwaukee Road, where he rose through the mechanical department and engine service ranks to locomotive engineer, a position he would hold through the departure of the Milwaukee Road's operations to the U.S. Midwest in 1980. At the time of the Milwaukee Road's abandonment, Gordon ranked No.1 on the engineer's seniority roster for the Coast Division. Highlights of his career in engine service included his working the Olympian Hiawatha passenger train between Tacoma and Othello, and operating of each type of the historic electric locomotives in operation on the Coast Division. Ultimately, Gordon retired from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1984 at age 65. He worked briefly as a locomotive engineer consultant at the start-up of the Wisconsin Central Railroad in 1987-1988. Gordon was active in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers ("BLE") during his rail career, and was elected Local Chairman of Division 801 (1957 to 1964) and BLE General Chairman of Lines West of the Milwaukee Road (1964 to 1967). Gordon fell in love with one of his Stadium classmate's younger sister, Mary Dore Conolly, and they were married on May 16, 1953 at Epworth LeSourd Methodist Church. This loving couple started a family in the Jefferson Park area of Tacoma, living at the same residence from 1953 to 2001. Following his retirement from the railroad, both Gordon and his wife Mary were active volunteers at Tacoma's Visitor Information Center. Gordon also volunteered at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma for many years. Gordon was preceded in death by his wife Mary in 2004. He is survived by his four children, son Ronald and wife Karen (Ladner) of Parkville, MO, daughter Susan and husband Willie DePascale of Chula Vista, CA, son William and wife Annie (Kofiloto) of Gwynn Oak, MD, and daughter Janet and husband Ronald Hastings of Ashford, WA, and his nine grandchildren, Ariann Russ-Jovanovic, Selena Russ-Trotter, Molly Hastings, Emily Hastings, Brian Russ, Lauren Russ, Sarah Russ, Natalie Russ and Nolan Russ, and his great-grandchild Cora Jovanovic. A Memorial Service celebrating Gordon's life will be held at Narrows Glen Retirement Home on Saturday, September 7, 2013, at 10:30 AM. (8201 6th Avenue Tacoma, WA 98406) (253-320-7074) In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Cascade Rail Foundation, 801 Milwaukee Road (PO Box 462), South Cle Elum, WA 98943 The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to the staffs at Narrows Glen and the Tacoma Lutheran Retirement Center, the first responders of the Tacoma Fire Department, and the staffs at the Emergency Room and the Short Stay Cardiovascular Center at Tacoma General Hospital for the care and respect they showed our father during his final days with us.