By Elijah Qualls
AFRO Intern
George L. Russell Jr. was more than just a judge and lawyer. He was more than the founding chairman of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for Maryland African American History and Culture. To all those he touched, he was an incredible friend, husband, father, grandfather and man.
Credit: Courtesy photo Reginald F. Lewis Museum / Facebook
Family, friends and colleagues of the history-making jurist gathered to memorialize his life and legacy at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore on July 12. Russell died on April 12.
“He pursued excellence in everything he did,” said his son, George L. Russell III. “He hated to lose, and so he prepared relentlessly. But beyond the accolades and the professional triumphs, he was a man of principle, of order and devotion to family.”
While funerals are a time of mourning and grief, Russell Jr.’s friends and family made it evidently clear that the day and time would also be devoted to celebrating his life. And having died at 96 years old, George L. Russell Jr. had a lot of life to be celebrated.
Russell lll spoke first, and he shared a story about when he was young and in school. His father was typically the quiet type in the house, while his mother was the disciplinarian, he said. However, one day, a report came home from his teacher saying that he had not done the reading of “Brave New World” for class. The elder Russell then woke his son up early on Saturday and forced him to stand and read the entire book from cover to cover, out loud. By Sunday morning, Russell III was more than prepared for class, and could provide succinct and insightful answers to comprehension questions.
“You see, he wasn’t interested in shortcuts,” George L. Russell III told the audience. “He was teaching me excellence was not an option. It was expected.”
Following his speech, George L. Russell IV gave remarks followed by his sister, Madison Russell. The grandchildren, now both grown, offered stories from their childhoods–looking forward to sleepovers with the grandparents, playing chess in the living room, or even weekly phone calls as they got older.
“Pop Pop had a gift. He made things make sense,” Madison Russell said. “He wasn’t one for long speeches or overcomplicated advice. He was plain spoken, clear, direct. When I came to him, often feeling overwhelmed or lost in my thoughts, he didn’t try to fix things or sugarcoat them. He just got to the heart of it. He didn’t always say what I wanted to hear, but he would always say what I needed to hear.”
The service continued with stories from friends, Gamma Xi Boulé Fraternity’s ceremonial tradition in honor of its brother, music, prayer and fellowship.
In closing her speech, Madison Russell offered advice based on her grandfather’s life: “Live with intention. Speak with honesty. Stand for something, even when it’s hard. Expect more from yourself and from others, and always, always lead with integrity. That’s how Pop Pop lived every single day.”
To view the celebration of life service, visit this link.
Great Job Elijah Qualls & the Team @ AFRO American Newspapers Source link for sharing this story.
