Russell J. Tarbell

Akwesasne - On Tuesday morning, January 21, 2025, Russell J. Tarbell, 67, peacefully passed away, surrounded by his family, after a long and fierce battle of cancer.
Russell was born in Massena on January 7, 1958, the son of the late George Tarbell and Mary Jane (Thompson) Tarbell. Russell was born and raised in Akwesasne, attended St. Regis Mohawk School and Salmon River High School. At the age of 18, Russell went to his first ironworking job in Duluth, MN with his Arquette family. He started out with Local Union #711 Montreal and later transferred into Local #440 Utica. Russell's ironworking career took him from the depths of the boroughs of NYC to the sweltering heat in the Mojave Desert. His expertise contributed to the construction of nuclear power plants, bridges, windmills, and countless other essential structures that form the backbone of modern infrastructure. When not traveling for ironworking, he cherished the time spent working alongside his sons, Matt and Huey, as part of the father-son team at Tarbell Construction. Together, they contributed to numerous projects within the community of Akwesasne.
Russell was a true innovator, turning his problem-solving skills into groundbreaking inventions. While building the family home, he developed the first prototype of his Woodworker's Helpin' Hand ™ tool to address the challenge of crooked tongue and groove boards. This invention remains a staple for woodworkers worldwide, with sales growing steadily every year through originaldevices.com. Russell enjoyed doing custom builds on various items and was proud of his "SMOW-dawg", his zero-turn lawn mower that he built to double as a snowblower. Right up until his last hospital stay, Russell was still engineering the various prototypes of his current inventions. While Russell was truly a master at everything he put his mind to, such as ironworking, welding, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, his passion was engineering & innovation, in the search for a general sense of greater working efficiency.
Above all, Russell's greatest pride and joy was his family, particularly his grandchildren. He loved watching them grow, play, and succeed, building a two-story clubhouse for them behind his home as a testament to his love. He was a passionate sports enthusiast who cherished traveling far and wide with his wife to watch his children and grandchildren play sports and swim matches, creating countless treasured memories along the way. To many young lacrosse and hockey players, Russell was affectionately known as "Gramps," always ready with pep talks and advice on how to improve and succeed.
Russell is survived by his wife, Sandra; their children, Deanna, April (Teiothorake), Matt (Justine) and Huey, all of Akwesasne; his grandchildren, Kanahstatsi, Alexis, Ethan, Treven, Nayia, Ember and Mattia, his great granddaughter Teiotsitsiathe Ahlani, his chosen grandsons Raiden and Ryker; his sisters, Debra Solomon, Juanita Tarbell, and Alice (Maday) Herne, his Goddaughter Lorna Francis, his sister-in-law, Jackie Tarbell, all of Akwesasne, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, ironworking friends and lacrosse friends.
In addition to both parents in 1964, he was predeceased by a sister, Freda M. Tarbell on December 27, 1996 and by a brother, Eugene Tarbell on October 20, 2023.
Friends may call on his family home at 120 St. Regis Rd. Akwesasne, NY. Public viewing will be on Monday, January 27th from 2:00pm to 9:00pm, Tuesday, January 28th from 2:00 to 9:00 pm and Wednesday, January 29 from 10:00 am until the time of services at 1:00pm.
Burial will follow in the Mohawk Nation Cemetery on Solomon Road.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing, may consider memorial contributions in his memory to the Akwesasne Storm Minor Lacrosse Association.