James H Russell

James Harley Russell, called Jim, of Glencoe, IL, died peacefully at 12:21am on July 7, 2025. Jim was an attorney, a humorist, an aviator, a fly fisherman, a tennis player, a cyclist, a Cubs fan, an Eagle Scout, a friend, a cautious optimist, a husband, a father, and, above all else, "Pop" to Foster Russell, Soren Russell, and Jean-Jacques Callot.
He was born in Oak Park, IL in 1943 to Harley Spencer Russell and Eleanor Elizabeth Russell (née Johnson). Raised in St. Charles, IL alongside brother William and sister Carolyn, Jim loved to play baseball with his friends and romp along the Fox River. Jim was a 1961 graduate of St. Charles High School. He graduated with an English major from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1965, where his passions included Romantic poetry and playing bass in the rock band The Primates. He earned his law degree from The Ohio State University in 1969.
After a long career in environmental law, he retired from Winston & Strawn, LLP in 2008. He loved to probe the science, ethics, and policies around every case he undertook. He was a deep diver, a researcher, an examiner, and an eternal student. He valued hard work in and of itself as an important personal process. He cared deeply about right and wrong. He believed that American constitutional law was the first love of every practicing attorney, and the ACLU-issued copy of the Constitution was a permanent fixture of his desktop.
He did not practice a religion, though he embodied Christian values: he believed it was a virtue to love and a torture to hate. He believed disagreement was healthy and that respectful dialogue was the cornerstone of liberal democracy. He was rabidly intolerant of intolerance. He also hated any hint of pretense or artifice, prioritizing truth and authenticity even at the expense of personal gain. He enjoyed lifelong friendships with people across the political spectrum.
He was a lover of poetry and a scholar of history. He was a big fan of James Brown, bluegrass music, Madrigals, and everything in between. He loved to watch other people dance. In general, he loved to watch other people; he loved Mel Brooks movies, the Cubs, theatre, and music. He loved musicals. He hated Notre Dame football.
With his distinctive tenor voice, Jim talked to everyone. He was a great listener. He was on a first-name basis with every cashier or dental hygienist or postal worker he came across. Upon retirement, Jim devoted the rest of his life to being the best grandfather on the face of this green earth.
Protectors of his legacy include his wife of 52 years, Kay Jeanne Russell (née Ogle), his children Brant and Eleanor, his son-in-law André, his daughter-in-law Marta, his grandchildren, and the hundreds of people whose lives he enriched. Jim believed that a sense of humor is a kind of intelligence and mode of perception-one in need of consistent cultivation. Let's honor this legacy by opening our minds and looking out for the opportunity to be delighted. Or, as he would encourage us: "Look for the laugh."
A party will be held to celebrate Jim's life on September 20, 2025. Those who wish to attend can contact either of his children for more details.