Russel "Russ" Anthony Arlotta

Russel "Russ/Rusty" Anthony Arlotta, Jr., passed away at his home in Takoma Park, MD, on Sunday November 10, 2024, surrounded by family, after a years'-long battle with mantle cell lymphoma.

Russ was a talented singer-songwriter, creating three albums with accompaniment by his musician friends - The Road We Travel, For the Heart to Learn, and Little Time, Big Moment and beginning a fourth in October 2024. Russ was an attorney, an avid long-distance and marathon runner, and a lover of sun, surf, and the open road.

Russ began writing songs at a young age and through this love of music he taught himself guitar as a teenager, grew a community of musicians, poets, and kind souls, from the "Boathouse" group house in his twenties to Riverside and beyond. Music became a life-long avocation, broadening his talents to include electric guitar, mandolin, and fiddle. As fate would have it, this led to meeting his wife of 37 years, Joan Goodhue, at a class for beginning fiddlers.

For many years, Russ played with the music collective Takoma Zone on Saturday nights at Savory Café in his hometown, Takoma Park, among other local venues (the Takoma Park Folk Festival, House of Musical Traditions, Shepherd's Table benefits, and his family's annual spring Azalea parties). He once went on tour in the Philippines with a friend's band and later challenged himself to play jazz violin for a time with the String Theory band at Germano's restaurant in Baltimore. Most recently, Russ organized a weekly jam session that he and his friends called "the Friday News Roundup." He was a deep thinker and sensitive soul, and his own music reflects a lifelong commitment to environmentalism and positivity in the face of despair.

One of Russ's defining qualities was his strong work ethic. At 12 years old, he had a newspaper route that, over time, spread well past his Oakview neighborhood, and later mowed lawns for Holy Trinity Mission Seminary. During his school days, Russ excelled at both academics and athletics. He played football and baseball through grade school at St. Camillus and all four years at Our Lady of Good Counsel H.S., where he was also a varsity wrestler his sophomore year.



As a young man, he gained a degree in English, worked in landscaping, and bartended at the Olney Ale House. Eventually, Russ was inspired to go to law school and worked for the Prince George's County Office of Law and the Prince George's County firm, Rick Kramer and Associates. He later joined the Upper Marlboro firm of his former colleague and mentor, Carl A. Harris and Associates, where he spent most of his law career. Russ was the Managing Attorney for many years and he was well-respected throughout the legal community in Prince George's County.

For Russ, family meant everything. He was a devoted, encouraging, and caring dad to Caitlin, Allison, and Russel, and a loving, fun partner to Joan. He was an amazing cook who dished up mostly vegetarian, organic meals that he liked to "jazz up" with ingredients intuitively. Throughout his life, Russ collected friends along the way like a snowball rolling down a hill. No one was ever left behind, connections only deepening with the passage of time. Some of his favorite activities with his family and friends were telling stories, playing charades, going on bike rides, camping at the beach, creating puns, and of course, playing music.

Russ was born in Cheverly, Maryland on February 21, 1956, the son of Marcella Reznicek Arlotta and Russel Anthony Arlotta, Sr. He was the grandson of immigrants from Montalbano, Sicily and the great-grandson of immigrants from what is now the Czech Republic. He attended Saint Camillus School, Good Counsel High School, the University of Maryland, and the University of Maryland School of Law.



Russ' father, Russel Arlotta, Sr., passed away in1965, and his mother, Marcella Reznicek Arlotta, in 2006, his sister Jeanne McAllister in 2012, and his sister-in-law Nancy Goodhue Lynch in 2000.



He will be missed and celebrated by his many cherished friends, and his loving family - wife Joan Goodhue; children Caitlin, Russel, and Allison Arlotta; sisters Judith Starchild and Marianne House (Gary); nieces and nephews Deanna Arlotta, Joringel Starchild, Celeste Starchild (Dave Ihmels), Terra Hetzel, Will Hetzel, Raine Boatright, Michael Norden, Emily Goodhue (CJ Lindor), and Carver Goodhue (Emma Wakeman); and brothers-in-law Alan Goodhue (Lois), and Dale Goodhue (Alice Harris).

A celebration of life was held at the farm of friends in Brookeville, Maryland on November 23, 2024.

In memory of Russ, please play his music on your favorite streaming service and consider a donation to Shepherd's Table (www.shepherdstable.org) or the Mercy Centre (www.mercycentre.org/new) .

excerpt from "Going Down the Track"

So you better take note
'Cause this is what life wrote
That all the bridges that we build
Fences we mend
Dancing and laughter
And joy that we send
All the light and the good
That is in us to lend
That's all that we got
From beginning to end