W.L. "Buddy" Russell's Obituary
Willie Lee “Buddy” Russell, Jr., 73, passed away Saturday, November 9th in Germantown, TN. Buddy was born on January 27, 1940, in Drew, Mississippi. He was raised in Greenville, MS where he took ownership of Russell Motor Company from his father after he retired. After his move to Memphis, Buddy continued his work in the automobile industry. He was the son of the late Willie Lee Russell, Sr. and Blanche Stokes Russell. Buddy was a graduate of Mississippi State University and was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He served his country in the Air National Guard. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed fishing and gardening. Buddy and his wife Patti were active members of the Cotton Carnival groups Ennead and Ramet. He served as King of Ramet in 2012. Buddy leaves behind his wife Patti Kowalski Russell, his four children Melanie Bast (Mike) of Germantown, TN, Terri Bullock (Gary) of Gulf Breeze, FL, Kenneth Russell of Byhalia, MS, Stephanie Wright of Germantown, TN, and stepdaughter Jackie Gentry Mitchell (Kyle) of Memphis, TN. He leaves behind his sister, Alice Bryan of San Antonio, TX. He also leaves behind his beloved 8 grandchildren, 1 great-grandson, several nieces, nephews and numerous friends. Having been brought up in the Delta, Buddy was a true southern gentleman who always showed his southern charm and delightful sense of humor to all those he knew and met. Visitation will be held at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis, TN on Wednesday, November 13th from 4pm to 6 pm, with a Memorial service to follow at 6pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the American Diabetes Association.Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave. Memphis, TN 38119, (901)767-8930, “Behind the Stone Wall”.
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