William M.D.

Sun Prairie - William T. Russell, M.D., age 97, died July 29, 2014. He practiced family medicine in Sun Prairie, WI, from 1949 to 1982.

Born Feb. 15, 1917, as the oldest of William Henry and Ethel (Manning) Russell's five children, Bill grew up on the family farm in Erin, WI. He taught country school for seven years, served in the Navy while attending medical school at the University of Wisconsin, and served in the Air Force from 1952 to 1954. He was a clinical faculty member of the UW and an active member of the Wisconsin Medical Society and the Interstate Family Medicine organization. Bill especially enjoyed mentoring medical students and volunteering at high school football games, Midget auto races, the Colonial Club, and other civic organizations. He wanted this farewell note included in his obituary: "Sun Prairie has been a wonderful community in which to live, work, and raise a family. For this, we [Alice and I] thank all of you who have been involved in our lives."

Bill is survived by his wife, Alice, whom he married July 9, 1945, and by children Michael (Pamela), Mary Curran (Jim Curran), Patricia Carnahan, Colleen Duffie (Neil Duffie), Timothy (Junko Murakami), Daniel, Faith (John Miller), Steven, Julianne (Steve Cejtin), and John. Bill's family also includes grandchildren Bridget, Charles (Lori Sininger), and Molly Carnahan (Tim Hall); Christopher Curran; Meghan Duffie (Sung-Won Kim), Patrick Duffie (Elizabeth Werley-Prieto), and Laura Duffie-Evans (Drew Evans); Ryo (Miwa Aoki), Shin, and Liam Russell; Mikael, Will, Sam, and Taed Cejtin; and great-grandchildren Cailleach McGinley and Kaden and Oliver Duffie-Kim. Other survivors include Bill's brother Robert and a clan of cousins, nieces, and nephews. Son Terrence and grandsons Paul Russell and Jamison Curran died in past years.

A visitation will be held Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Cress Funeral Home, 1310 Emerald Terrace, Sun Prairie. Memorial donations may be made to the Sun Prairie Public Library or to Wisconsin Public Radio. The family extends sincere thanks to Sun Prairie Health Care Center staff members for their care.