Russell William "Russ" Cole

1956 - 2022

Russell “Russ�� William Cole, age 66, of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, passed away peacefully Tuesday, September 13, 2022. Funeral services for Russ will be held at the Clark Family Funeral Chapel on Monday, September 19, 2022, at 11 a.m. Russell will be laid to rest in the Denver Township Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitation will continue the day of the service from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Memorial contributions may be made to Leaton United Methodist Church. Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel. Russ was born on April 4, 1956, in Clare, Michigan, the firstborn son of Gerald and Mary Jane Cole. He was one of seven children. Russ worked immediately out of High School for Mid-Michigan Community College. His early employment roles were as a General Manager for Litho-Quik Printing in Frankenmuth, then General Manager for Enterprise Printers in Mt. Pleasant, where he worked for a number of years. Later, he worked for McKay Press in Midland as a sales promoter, obtaining printing contracts covering Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula areas. While traveling, he fell in love with Traverse City and decided to move there. He became a member of the Best Hardware team and converted their entire inventory onto an electronic system. After accomplishing that, he transitioned to a General Manager role for over 30 years for the Best Western and Comfort Inn hotels of Traverse City. While employed by Best Western, he was awarded national recognition numerous times for bringing them into a 5-star status hotel. Because of that, he received luxury trips to various locations, such as Hawaii, New York, Florida, and Calgary. He loved people and giving excellent customer service was his gift. Russ lived close to the Grand Traverse Bay and he dearly loved the lay of the land, especially the seasonal view of the water. Recently, due to health, he moved back “home� to Mt. Pleasant to be near his family. He enjoyed bird watching, working on stain glass art work, tending to flower beds, collecting tropical fish, and he totally enjoyed going all out with decorating for Halloween and Christmas. He had an entrepreneurial spirit and loved running several online businesses. He was a great cook, but also had a love for fast food, especially French fries. Russ is survived by his siblings, David (Brenda) Cole, Tammy (Tom) Prout, Brad (Laurie) Cole, Glenn (Suzie) Cole, and Dallas Cole; sister-in-law: Maggie Cole and many aunts uncles, nieces, and nephews. Russ never married nor had any children and was preceded in death by grandparents; parents; and brother, Darren Cole. You may view Russ’ obituary online or send a condolence to the family at www.clarkfuneralchapel.com.