By Clyde Noel
Old friends, family and Los Altos Rotarians paid a deserving tribute to longtime community mover-and-shaker Billy Russell last Thursday at Shoup Park.
Dispensing with usual Rotary Club routine, a supportive crowd took over the park’s Garden House to hug and applaud the life of one of the community’s early volunteers. Russell celebrated his 88th birthday in July.
Introduced by Mel Kahn, Russell sat with his family and received complimentary remarks from person after person who knew him during his varied life’s experiences.
Russell’s son, John, came from Baltimore for the event and proclaimed, “This is your life, dad.”
John said his father was born a few days before the Panama Canal opened. A native of Iowa, he worked for a men’s clothing store in Iowa City during college and graduated in 1938 with a degree in political science, but never used the information. Instead he entered the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant.
After marrying Trish, he was shipped to Australia and didn’t see her for three years. Russell had an illustrious military career receiving the Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit.
Jack Huston provided a different perspective. He claimed Russell was a young farm boy who never milked a cow. Although Russell was older, a senior when Huston was in the first grade, Huston said they had a lot in common. In 1949 they opened the Huston-Russell Clothing Store on State Street in Los Altos. After moving across the street where the Card & Party store is now, they stayed open for 30 years.
“The business grew because of the young people who worked for us. They all went on to important careers and were a credit to the kids of the ’50s,” Huston said. “The fun part of the store was meeting people.”
Along with retailing, Russell found time to serve on the El Camino Hospital District Board of Directors for 36 years.
“During that period, the hospital was recognized as one of the best in the U.S. and brought in the best medical professionals in the field.” Huston said.
Norma Melchor served 16 years on the hospital board with Russell.
“He was instrumental in setting board policy. He chose the first hospital administrator and when asked for a decision he was always well-prepared.” Melchor said. “When the hospital was started, Billy worked hard on the bond issue, and it passed on a 7-1 basis.”
Melchor said if she had to use adjectives to describe Russell, he was honest, patriotic, concise, energetic and his integrity is something to admire.
“When the new hospital is built, they’d better name the new hospital the Billy Russell wing, or we’ll all be mad,” Melchor said.
Marty Spangler said when Russell was Rotary president, the lunch was $2.25 and dues $25, but the club was small.
“We had fireside chats with all the members. With the size of the club today, we don’t even get to know each other.” Spangler said. “Then we knew all the people who were the cornerstones of the community. It was an old boy’s club in the old days. We had fantastic speakers and we discussed common business problems and were more community oriented. Billy was a highlight for me and that’s why I wanted to be a Rotarian.”
Los Altos Mayor Francis La Poll presented Russell with a city proclamation and announced that when he ran for council, he was told Russell is the man to talk to.
With tears in his eyes, Russell acknowledged his group of admirers. “I guess I’m in good company because my favorite of all time was Sammy Kahn,” he said. “With my family here together, it will be a good weekend.”
In a letter to his wife Trish on March 16, 1942, Russell wrote, “I know where we are going to live and become part of the community.” That community was Los Altos.
Russell proclaimed four important things in his life: his courtship and marriage to Trish; his church; the privilege of serving in the community; and “my constitution and my feeling for it. It’s the cradle of freedom.”
