James T. Russell's Obituary
James T. Red Russell was born in Sweetwater, Texas on April 15, 1914 and died in Longview, Texas on at the age of 96.Visitation will be at .. and a celebration of his life will be held .
After moving to Omaha, Texas when he was 5 years old, he attended Omaha schools until his senior year when he transferred to Daingerfield High School to play football. He was awarded the first athletic scholarship from that school. He graduated from East Texas State Teachers College where he lettered for four years in football, basketball, tennis and track and was named all Lonestar Conference in football and basketball. After graduation, he coached at Hughes Springs, McLeod and Grand Prairie before joining the U.S Navy. He served our country in WWII as an officer.
After the Navy, he coached at Pittsburg High School before moving to Sabine High School. At Sabine, he coached football, basketball, baseball, tennis and track. He also taught physical education, history, drivers education and first aid. In his ten years of coaching football at Sabine, he compiled a 76-28 record. His teams won three district championships and two teams were undefeated in conference play.
Coach Russell did graduate work at the University of Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Texas A&M. He received his Master s Degree from East Texas State University. He played AAU basketball with Sammy s All Stars of Dallas and football with Great Lakes Naval Training Station and Fleet City, California s Naval Training Station. He also played two years of professional football with Oakland and San Francisco before there was an NFL.
From 1957-68, he served as the elementary principal at Sabine and later as an
interim superintendent.
J. T. Red Russell was the voice of Kilgore College Football and for the Longview Lobos on KFRO radio for twenty-three years.
In 1969, he became the coordinator for the Safety and Driver Education Program for Region VII Educational Service Center at Kilgore College for 10 years, implementing the first course in driver education in Texas using a multi-media simulator.
He was the president of Gregg County Elementary Principals Association; served on a panel to select players for the Coaches All-Star Football game; was the president of Sabine Lions Club for three years; was Deputy District Governor of Lions International for two terms; and served fours years on the Gregg County Appraisal District Tax Review Board representing the Sabine ISD.
He was also a member of the Liberty City Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years Johnnie Hervey Russell and his wife of 19 years Allyene Jackson Russell.
He is survived by his children Glenda Rains, Donna Clark, and Rick Russell; son-in-law Jack Clark and daughter-in-law Linda Russell; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made in memory of Coach J.T. Red Russell to the Red Russell Scholarship Fund, Kilgore Jr. College, c/o David Wylie, 1100 Broadway, Kilgore, Texas 75662.
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