Russell E. Robertson

1929 - 2025

Russell E. Robertson, of Zelienople, passed away Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.
Russell was born March 20, 1929, and raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Upon graduation from Taylor Allderdice High School, he immediately went to work at the Chautauqua Institute, where he could be surrounded by music and learning.
At 20 years old, he married Esther Henshaw of Zelienople, and they spent the next 76 years together. They had three children, Carol, David and Bill, each very different and each excelled in their careers. When Carol was young and taking piano lessons, she had more interest in the workings of the piano than playing it and became a professional tuner. The family settled in Akron, Ohio, with Russell working at Firestone Tire & Rubber Co.
Firestone bought one of IBM's first large computers and Russell used it to set up payroll and inventory systems. In the early 1950s, he was on the leading edge of computer technology at a time when they were trying to determine if mathematicians or electrical engineers should operate these new machines. In the '50s at an IBM school in Chicago, he programmed their main frame computer to play tic-tac-toe and failed the course because they thought computers did not do logic, that they were only counting machines.
After 13 years at Firestone, Russell needed more challenges and moved the family to Washington, D.C. in 1963. He went through a period of climbing the career ladder of various computing companies in that rapidly changing world. He did projects as a government contractor at Cape Canaveral, the War Room at the Pentagon among others.
In the late 1960s, he took a high-level position at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which occasionally took him to The White House. In the late 1990s, he retired and with Esther moved back to her hometown of Zelienople for a slower and quieter pace of life than Washington, D.C. At that time, his parents were living at Passavant and he used his lifelong skills at piano to play music from the 1920s to 1940s to entertain them and many others.
In Zelienople, he used his skills dealing with government red tape first as a borough councilman and later on the Airport Authority. Russell was instrumental in expanding the airport from its beginnings as a grass landing strip to modern jetport. He helped bring in grants totaling millions of dollars, adding 100s of acres of land and expanding the runway to 6,000 feet.
Russell had many other interests, a Mason for over 60 years, a Boy Scout Scoutmaster for 17 years, long past the time his sons were active and helping those in need in many ways. He was a member of the St. Peter's Reformed Church community. Russell advised and followed his youngest son, Bill's, career of over 48 years of making fine scale miniatures.
He and Esther loved to travel and took many trips to Europe, often with their daughter, Carol. In later years, his travel was limited to short road trips of only a day or two with his oldest son, David, often to Amish country or Lake Erie.
David spent over 30 years in the Marine Corps and five years as a police officer in Washington, D.C. Russell also enjoyed his Whiskey Night up at the Log Cabin Inn, a place he had been going to since 1948. Russ was also the oldest active member of the Hungarian Beneficial Society of Zelienople, where lately he visited multiple times a week, including his last. He passed away quietly while taking a nap just after talking to his son about plans for the next day.
Our father taught us well, to be thorough and pay attention to the details. He was simply a good man and will be missed.
Obviously at 96, he outlived his parents, Letha and Preston Robertson; and older brother, David.
He is survived by his children; one granddaughter; seven great-grandchildren; and his many friends.
ROBERTSON - Private funeral arrangements for Russell E. Robertson, who died Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, were entrusted to BOYLAN FUNERAL HOME, 324 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople.
Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.boylanfuneralservices.com.