Obituary of Samuel Russo

It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of Samuel Russo on February 13, 2020. He left this earthly womb of existence and entered into the eternal presence of God after a generous lifetime of work, family and friends.Samuel was born January 16, 1931 in Providence RI, the third of four children of Italian parents, Eugene and Pasqualina Imodin Russo, who came through Ellis Island. He knew discrimination because of his Italian heritage and hardship because of the Great Depression. Through perseverance, he graduated high school and then entered military service – first the Navy and then the Air Force. After his service, he went to the University of New Mexico through the GI Bill, graduated with a degree of engineer, raised a family of four well-grounded kids, and had a 31 year career with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He worked in several districts where he was involved with the execution of many military construction programs. At the end of his career, he held the position of Chief of the Military Branch, Fort Worth District. Samuel was inducted into the Gallery of Distinguished Employees, Fort Worth District, in 2010.He enjoyed retirement with his first wife of 57 years, Patricia, volunteering at the Fort Worth Zoo, AARP (he was president of the Fort Worth chapter in the 1990’s), the Cattle Raisers Museum and the Kimbell Art Museum where he used his engineering skills to construct containers and packing for the art and artifacts. After his first wife’s passing, he found love again, at the age of 87, and married Sarah Bailey. One of his favorite time of day was morning coffee at the restaurant with his friends. He said their main objective was to “meet and solve the world’s problems.He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, and his first wife, Patricia.Wife, Sarah; children, Rebecca Bennett (Raymond), Raymond Russo (Nina), Gregory Russo, Leonard Russo (Michelle); grandchildren, Patricia and Alyssa Bennett and Katie and Michael Russo; and Sarah’s children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.