Thomas Wilson Russell

Thomas Wilson Russell, 89, of Tall Pines Road died Sunday April 27, 2014 at Wake Forest Baptist Health- Lexington Medical Center.A memorial service will be held 11:00 A.M. Saturday May 17, 2014 at Grace Episcopal Church Chapel, where he attended, with the Rev. Dr. Tom King officiating.Mr. Russell was born in Vermilion, Illinois on March 1, 1925 to the late Otto Russell and Maude Setzer Russell. He was preceded in death by his wife, Majorie Ann Peterson Russell and his sister, Eleanor May Duffy.He was a proud WWII fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps who served in the Pacific Theater, enlisting on June 19,1943 and serving for the duration. At the time he enlisted he was a student in the engineering department at the University of Tennessee, as well as a certified pilot. At the end of the war he met and married Marjorie, who was he wife of 52 years and the mother of his daughters.Mr. Russell attended the University of Wyoming, graduating with a degree in Engineering. He went on to receive Doctorates in Mathematics, Engineering, and Physics. He continued serving his country at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado, as an inventor of instruments used in military aircraft, and as a consultant for the armed services,He was very involved in the betterment of those less fortunate. He did his best to make sure that a local pantry received his support; he never made a big deal of his help-he just believed it was the right thing to do. He will be greatly missed.Mr. Russell is survived by his bride, Christine V. Russell; his daughters, Claudia J. Russell, Marlene S. Jones and husband David M. Jones, and Debra K. Conway and husband David Conway; his grandchildren, Chad Walsh and wife Angie, Ryan Walsh and wife April, Erik Walsh, Philip Greathouse, Les Tyler Conway, Mary Bauer and husband Matthew, and Andrew Jones; and great-grandchildren, Nick Dehaut, Celeste Walsh, Alaina Walsh, Evan Walsh, Myron Bauer, Randy Greathouse, Heather Greathouse, Zach Bauer, and Isadora Bauer.In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations in his memory be made to the Grace Episcopal Church Food Pantry Program, 419 South Main Street, Lexington,NC 27292.