Obituary of John McGreevy Russell

John McGreevy Russell of Elmira, NY passed peacefully from this life on Feb. 5, 2017 at the age of 68 after a lengthy illness. He was born on February 16, 1948, the middle son of the late William S. and Marion (Beattie) Russell in Syracuse, NY. He lived in Chenango Bridge, NY and Valatie, NY before his family moved to Elmira in 1963. He is survived by his beloved wife of 26 years, Carol Weigle Russell; loving brothers and sisters-in-law, William S. and Marilynn Russell of Marietta, GA, Peter J. Russell of Gainesville, GA, Thomas B. and Rooney Russell of Wellesley, MA and Andrew and Pamela Russell of Boca Raton, FL; father-in-law, Bernard R. Weigle of Horseheads, NY; sister-in-law, Patricia J. Weigle of Horseheads, NY; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Raymond S. and Margaret Weigle of Erin, NY. He is also survived by several cousins and was the favorite uncle of many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, grand-nephews, and one great grand-niece. John loved people and made friends with everyone he met. He leaves behind many who consider him their best friend including Kevin Flynn, Martin Schmidt and Richard Lintal. John was a 1966 graduate Notre Dame High School and received his BS degree in political science in 1970 from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. He taught at St. Patrick's School in Elmira and St. Mary Our Mother School in Horseheads for several years where he influenced many young lives and was everyone's favorite teacher. He was very active in CYO for many years, playing basketball as a high school student and then coaching both basketball and baseball at Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Mary Our Mother. After leaving teaching, he spent his time volunteering for different organizations including the Special Olympics, Community Food Pantry and at the Elmira Psychiatric Center in recreation. The two jobs he loved the best were taking care of his parents in their later years and being a house husband. He took great pride in his parents' legacy of graduating from Syracuse University and avidly followed the basketball and football teams. He was a great Yankee fan for most of his life, and followed the St. Louis Cardinals during the reign of Albert Pujols. John was a scholar, a poet, a musician, and a great golfer. He said of himself, "I'm a citizen of the Universe and a communicant of the Earth." He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. Friends are invited to McInerny Funeral Home, corner of Water and Walnut Streets on Thursday, February 9, 2017 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Friday, February 10, 2017 at 10:30 AM in St. Casimir's Church, Elmira. Committal prayers and interment will follow at St. Peter & Paul's Cemetery. Donations in John's memory may be made to the charity of your choice. Special thanks to all those who cared for John during the past month at the Arnot-Ogden Hospital on 5D and the ICU and his last few days at the Chemung County Nursing Facility.