Joseph Lewis Russell Jr.

Joseph Lewis Russell, Jr. of Smithville, Texas died on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2016. He was born in Houston on Nov. 30, 1923. Russell graduated from the Allen Military Academy in Bryan in 1942 and was a member of the Calvary in the corps of cadets at Texas A&M University before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He married Elna Louise McCorkle in 1944, and after the War, returned to Texas A&M, but graduated from the University of Houston as a petroleum engineer. He spent his entire career with one company, which evolved from Stanolin to Pan American to Amoco and then British Petroleum before retiring in 1984. His job took the family up and down the Texas coast and they lived in Houston, High Island, Angleton, Beeville, Victoria, Corpus Christi and Friendswood. He was a member of the American Institute of Petroleum Engineers as well as the Knights of Columbus and St. Mary’s Catholic Church at Pin Oak in Bastrop County. He held a pilot’s license and flew their Bonanza all over as a member of a flying club. After retiring, he and his wife moved to their ranch in Smithville, Texas where they raised cattle and entertained grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Elna, and four daughters Linda (Joe) Henkel of Kingsville and Rockport; Susan (Ted) Kanke of Denton, Texas; Peggy (Steve) Holz of Waller, Texas and Patty (Rod) Woodard of Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. Funeral Mass will be 11:00am Saturday, January 23, 2016, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Pin Oak, Texas.