Russell Lee Wise

Russell Lee Wise, age 72, passed away on Sunday, June 3 at 12:35 a.m. Russell was born on May 11, 1946, to the late Martha E. Jones and the late Nathaniel Dashiell. He grew up on Hall Shop Road in Clarksville, Maryland. As the oldest of three children, Russell always worked hard to help his family following the example set by his uncles - George, Bill, James (Skipper) and Raymond - who'd helped raise him when he was a child. Russell's stepfather Nelson Jones would become an important part in his life when he was a teen. Russell spent much of his youth hanging out at the junkyard with cousins Tee Tee, Ellis, Billy and Phillip. It was there that he developed a love of cars, which led to him working for his Uncle George towing cars at the age of 17. Russell went on to graduate from Harriet Tubman High School in 1964. After graduation, he attended a trade school to learn printing and earned a job in the industry at Vitrol Laboratory in Silver Spring. He later transferred to the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where he would work for 26 years. In 1965, Russell married the late Virginia Brown. Their daughter, Roslyn, was born in 1966. Russell loved his family very much and worked very hard to provide for them. At the age of 25, he purchased his own land and built a home for his wife and daughter. He also helped to raise his sisters. Russell said that strong work ethic came from his mother, Martha. In addition to his full-time job, Russell also was an entrepreneur who started his own company, Wise Incorporated, which began as a towing service and later became a hauling business. He continued to run Wise Incorporated after retiring from the APL and also began working for the Howard County Public School System as a custodian. Russell was well-respected and received an Excellence Award for Custodial and Ground Services for his hard work at Phelps Luck Elementary School in the 2007-08 school year. Russell loved music so much that he began DJing, first as a hobby for his family and friends, and later as a business, with "DJ Ready Wise" often requested to play at area event s. If you stopped by to visit Russell, you would often hear loud music coming from his basement, where he was practicing for his next event. Russell leaves behind to cherish his memo ry his daughter, Roslyn Wise (Bert); sister Mary Weeks; granddaughters Genell Hoechstetter (Alex) and Lia Wise-Diaz; brothers Kenneth Dashiell (Felicia), Wendell Dashiell (Felicia), Nathaniel (Jill) and Ben Dashiell (Sh elia); sister Medenia Dashiell; aunts Marie Wise, Annie Kosh and Elenore Wise; a special friend, Eugenia Thomas; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia Bro wn; daughter, Patrice Bishop; sister Lily Mae Jones; and brother Murray (Ray) Dashiell. Russell will be missed dearly by all who loved him.