Obituary of Edward Jerome Russell

Edward Jerome Russell was delivered July 4, 2021, from a long challenging battle with renal disease. Ed was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Janice M. (Russell) Walker and Charles Goens on February 12, 1960. He attended Woodward Elementary, St. Augustine Parochial School, Loy Norrix, and Paw Paw High Schools. Ed joined the United States Army a few years after high school and was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. During this time, he completed an associate degree and other technical training. Upon honorable discharge from the service, Ed began a career in the IT field, becoming a consultant and doing network administration. Ed had a wide range of interests, knowledge, skills, and experiences from competitive water skiing, motocross racing, fishing, golfing, gardening, and cooking. He enjoyed watching movies and was a gun enthusiast with a very good eye and great aim. He also had a good eye for and enjoyed antiquing. Most of all, Ed was very proud of and loved his children very much. He bragged on them and showed off their pictures every chance he got. Ed had a great sense of humor and a larger than life presence, he literally could light up a room. He was very funny, very sharp with a quick wit, and could make you laugh or make you cry. He was courageous, generous, and he had a good heart. Eddie fought our bullies and will forever be loved and missed. He leaves behind 2 ex-wives Jennifer Macey Bright of Battle Creek, MI and Dana Mills Russell of Portage, MI. 4 children: Ashley Russell of Troy, MI, Britni (JP) Bianchi of Portage, MI, Jeremy (Martyna) Russell of Ft. Campbell, KY, and Parker (Karla) Russell of Ft. Bragg, NC. 4 grandchildren: Sloan Horn, Louis Bianchi, Julian Russell, and Penelope Russell. 1 sister, Dyett (Richie) Gill of Paw Paw, MI and 3 brothers, Wendell (Sarah) Walker of Farmington Hills, MI, Clifford Walker of Paw Paw, MI, and John (Karen) Walker of Lansing, MI. Gone before him are his mother Janice (Russell) Walker, his father Charles Goens, his first-born son Ethan Lamar Russell, and a brother Wayne Marshall Walker. The family wishes to acknowledge and thank Borgess Medical Center and the 8 North staff. To Nurse Flowers: you are good company on the “midnight watch”! A memorial celebration of life will be held for Ed at a later date to be announced.