Jerry Ray Russell

Jerry Ray Russell
1955-2025

Jerry Ray Russell passed away at Toledo Hospital on Friday, March 21, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. Born at Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Salina, KS on October 16, 1955, to Jerry Charles and Anna Rae Russell, he moved with his parents to Toledo, OH around age two. 

As the eldest of four, Jerry’s siblings remember him as a fatherly supporter, protecter, and defender – as well as a terrorizer. From crafting an ice rink in the backyard of their Duncan St. home, to “Duncanstock” – a homegrown take on Woodstock, to destroying the front yard playing war games, Jerry always found ways to have fun, make mischief, and occupy his siblings and their friends. Even as an adult, when Jerry played softball with his brothers, he and Doug once stormed the field after Kevin was aggressively tagged by a shortstop who was apparently longing for a “knuckle sandwich.” When his sister, Lisa, and her kids needed a ride back to Toledo, Jerry and others drove to Louisiana to pick them up. 

As a student at DeVilbiss High School, Jerry was already a renaissance man: He was an avid athlete, spending his high school years wrestling and playing football; he was a musician, singing in choir and playing the saxophone; Jerry studied Russian; he was an avid history buff. Though not an academic, he loved learning. In his final moment of high school glory, the Class of 1973 voted him as, “the man with the sexiest legs.”

 After high school, uncertain of what he wanted to do with his life, Jerry eventually began his 18- year tenure at St. Vincent Hospital in various positions. In 1982, he embarked on a 14-year career as a professional photographer. Then, in one of many sacrifices made to care for his family, Jerry closed Glass City Visions Photography in 1996 and took a computer course which eventually led to his 20-year career as a network engineer for various industries including automotive, law, and healthcare. He retired from Ascension Healthcare.

 In 1975, Mark Clark, who was, in the end, Jerry’s best friend of more than 60 years, set him up on a blind date with Marian Lutzke, a meeting which would ultimately determine the course of his life. Married in 1981, Jerry and Marian began their family life that spanned 44 beautifully imperfect years. Jerry’s children remember how he taught them the importance of sacrifice, commitment, and personal integrity. For years, Jerry awakened at 4am to rouse his children for their paper routes delivering the Toledo Blade. Often that task, which extended beyond paper routes and into his kids’ high school years, included super soakers, loud opera music, obnoxious yelling, and constant threats of “swirlies” or having to walk to school. On several occasions, friends were the unintended victims of those “rude” early morning awakenings. With Marian, Jerry scrimped and saved to make sure that he could take his family to Cedar Point every year. In early adulthood, recognizing that they shouldn’t be driving, his kids along with Jerry’s unofficial-daughter, Alicia (Adams) Polk, coined the chant, “Jerry Ray will come!” That chant has lived on for over 20 years because it signified his reliability and steadfast loyalty. He taught his family how to love fiercely, to have difficult conversations, to acknowledge when wrong, and to apologize.

 From first to last, Jerry was a character who will not soon be forgotten. Emulating his beloved Three Stooges, Jerry could always be counted on to crack a joke, especially at inappropriate times. Jerry’s love of music was insatiable and, like everything else in his life, utterly eclectic. After retirement, he indulged his love of golf in earnest. Of late, he was learning to play bass guitar.

 When news of his death spread, we received messages and calls from all over the world, from places Jerry had never traveled, [some of which] from people who had never met him. One message captured part of the impact that Jerry had on the world: “I never met him, but from knowing [some of his children], I am certain that he was a great man.”

 Jerry was preceded in death by his father and stepmother, Jerry C. & Margaret Russell, his brother, Douglas Russell, and his beloved dogs, Coco [1], Coco [2], Dakota, Lucy, Teddy, Perseus, and Izzy.

He is survived by his wife Marian, children Julianna McNeal, Joseph, Charles (Tharuka), Matthew Norris, Patrick (Sarah), Mary (Shelby), Sandra (Hallie), his mother, Anna Russell, his siblings, Lisa (Russell) Gilbert, Kevin (Pamela) Russell, halfsiblings Sherrie (James) Brown, and Jerry Charles Russell, Jr., as well as several stepsiblings. Jerry was a cherished grandfather of 12 grandchildren. He leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and friends, as well as his beloved dog, Tiny.

 Visitors will be received from 4 – 8pm on Friday, March 28, 2025, Reeb Funeral Home, 5712 Main St, Sylvania, OH 43560. Funeral Mass at 10am, Regina Coeli Church, 530 Regina Pkwy, Toledo, 43612. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Hill Ave. Donations may be made in Jerry’s name to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Catholic Charities Diocese of Toledo, 1933 Spielbusch Ave., Toledo, OH 43604. Online condolences to reebfuneralhome.com 

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