When I first joined the FML, over 10 years ago, Russ was one of the
first people I started noticing and remembering. At that time, his
posts always ended with a sentence that began "You are a redneck if.".
What followed always changed, and usually brought a smile to my face
if not out and out laughter. While I was never really an active member
of alt.pets.ferrets, I did visit it occasionally, and would see posts
there from Russ as well.

I never met Russ in person, and never corresponded much with him
directly, but I was always aware of his presence in the online ferret
community. I came to know him as a gentle man (and a gentleman) who
always was willing to try and help others. He never held himself up as
an expert on anything, but was always willing to lend advice or share
his own experiences in an attempt to help others.

Russ had a wonderful sense of humor. When his ferrets were still alive,
he used to post funny stories about them. I remember their names -
Booger, Bonnie and Clyde. The names also caught my attention, and added
to my vision of him as a kindly man with a great sense of humor. And,
his stories made me feel like I had actually been there to see what
the 3 were doing.

Later, as other lists came into being, I saw Russ in other places -
mostly the FHL and the CSI list. His warmth and humor was a great
addition to those lists.

After Russ's ferrets had passed, he still remained a part of the online
ferret community, especially on the CSI list. While he no longer
entertained us with stories about his ferrets, he did send a number
of jokes, keeping the readers of the list laughing.

Over the years, I came to view Russ as a friend. He seemed to always be
in good spirits, and seemed to love life as much as any ferret does. He
spoke of his wife, Ann, from time to time, and it was clear she was
very important to him. While I never saw him gush about his love for
her, it was easy to read between the lines of his posts and know that
they had a very deep and meaningful relationship.

I am really going to miss seeing posts from Russ. His humor and love
of life were inspirational to me, and most likely to others. He was a
valued member of the ferret community, and I am certain there are many
who are mourning his loss.

Good-bye, Russ. Know you were loved and appreciated. Know that you had
many friends. Know that you are missed.

Danee DeVore

ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit:
<http://www.ferretadv.com>

ADV - Find out how you can help:
http://help4adv.terrabox.com/

[Posted in FML 6029]