Irving Russell Thrall

THRALL

IRVING RUSSELL THRALL

Irving Russell Thrall, former lawyer and house counsel for Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, died of heart disease at age 92 on July 28, 2023. A resident at Sunrise at Bluemont Park, Russ had lived in Arlington County since 1956 and worked at APL in Maryland for 39 years.

Russ was the son of Irving and Corriene Thrall and grew up in Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the Wooster School in Danbury, Connecticut, and went on to graduate Wabash College in 1952 and the George Washington University Law School. In college, he majored in English, joined the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, and met the love of his life, Marilyn Earle. They married in 1953 and enjoyed 56 years together until her passing in 2009. They raised three children: Janice (Dan) and twin sons Gordon (Cindy) and David (Gloria) who survive him. Other survivors include six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Russ was a founding member of Saint Peter's Episcopal Church and served on the Vestry and in other capacities. He was passionate about baseball and coached youth league teams for 28 years. In 1986, he was recognized as the Coach of the Year by the Better Sports Club of Arlington. Originally a Yankee fan, he adopted the Orioles as his favorite team and was delighted with their success this year. With Marilyn and close friends, he made a dozen trips to England, visiting historic churches, cathedrals, towns and villages, enjoying most the people and pubs along the way.



In retirement, Russ volunteered at the Virginia Hospital Center, serving as auxiliary president for several years. A vacation home in Bethany Beach, Delaware, provided him and his family many opportunities for rest, relaxation, and fun. He will be missed greatly by his family and the many friends he made over the years. During the course of his life, Russ maintained a positive, optimistic outlook and considered himself to be a very lucky man.



A memorial service will be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Arlington on Saturday, August 19, 2023, at 10 a.m. Contributions in his honor may be sent to Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana