I had the plesure of Knowing Russell for aobut 10 years. we had become very good friwnds at work. I had ask him If he'd like to ride to Myrtle Beach for bike week. we and a few other friends rode and his wife drove the a pick up. He lost his shifter of his old EVO and we took mine off and had one of the guys back home start calling shops along the way trying to find one Its saturday. we got the call that the closest one was a 100 miles out the way. we were there in just over a hour.What a blast.
We got back on track and went down Hwy 12 thru the OBX across the faries. It was a great trip.
Russ smoked like a freight train pulling a heavy load. He could drink like it was a olympic event. we would ride our bikes over to a little bar after our saftey meetings on saturdays to BS and play pool for a couple hours.
One morning it was a warm spring morning so we ordered up and went outside to sit in the sun. He takes a couple drinks of his beer and says I feel like $hit. gets up takes 2 steps and BAM out like a light. the ambulance comes and he's off work for about 6 months. Intestine ruptured.
He comes back to work around thanksgiving he stops in the middle of the floor and says Jim I feel like $hit after the last time he told me that I grab his arm to make sure he dont break the concrete with his face again. He goes to the doc and finds out its Lung Cancer.
He with drew from his friends at that point and I saw him once after he quit work He looked better than I ever seen him it looked like He'd beat this thing.
that was a couple years ago. I assumed he was doing good. I got the call he was in hospice last week. His wife called last night a let me know He'd past on saturday night.
Ironic that Myrtle Beach Bike Week started friday.RIP Russ. My friend

 

Sounds like the man lived the good life. Bloody shame to lose good people but that's the nature of the game.

 

Hurts to lose those special work buddies. I know. I lost one last year. Rest in Peace Russell....