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Mom was born in Springer Oklahoma on January 28, 1928 to Thomas and Fannie Payne. The family consisted of five children, Troy, John, Earline, Christine and David. They owned a cotton farm; producing cotton, corn, wheat and all the family produce, in Springer where our grandfather, Thomas, was a carpenter. They moved to California when Mom was sixteen. After High School, she went to work for Standard Oil and it was there that she met Daddy, Clarence Russell, Buzz to all his friends. Two of Mom’s greatest strengths were her dignity and caring for others. She had high standards of behavior and strong empathy for the less fortunate. So as long as we can remember Mom was taking care of what we later came to refer to as "wounded ducks", people in trouble, people with problems, people needing someone to care. Mom very early on began taking in foster children. So for years Linda and I shared our home with a parade of these less fortunate children. They were always accepted in and became part of the family and we knew of no different way. As we grew older she decided she wanted to rejoin the work force. Initially she worked for her brother John, who owned a Construction Company, learning the skill of bookkeeping. Later she worked with a CPA, William Heruth, who taught her the more advanced skill of accounting and developed her love of Income Tax Preparation. In 1974 with the coming of my son Mike, she came to work with me for Jerry Carter, owner of the Clothes Barn clothing stores and other interests. Together we worked for Jerry for 12 years as his business built, learning the bookkeeping and accounting for a large variety of businesses. In 1986 Mom and I branched out on our own and opened B.J.’s Business and Tax Service. Mom once again returned to school and became an Enrolled Agent. Through the sixteen years that we worked together Mom and I forged a bond that few mothers and daughters are privileged to experience. We were actually a dream team, she was good where I wasn’t and I was good at what she didn’t like. During this time Mom continued to care for her "wounded ducks". Daddy passed away in 1986, shortly after we began our business. It was always a regret to Mom that she and Daddy didn’t have a chance to travel as much as they wished. Sometime in the 1990's Mom took her Brother John into her home and with John came his grandson Sam. I remember Mom coming into work and talking about Sam and what a hard life he had led for such a young man and you could feel her empathy and desire to make his life better, yet another "wounded duck" Not long after, John died of cancer. Mom promised John she would continue to look after Sam and Sam continued to live with her until her death . Not too long after her brother John died, her brother Troy became ill with Alzheimer. Once again Mom stepped up and took Troy in. She sold his home in Santa Rosa and purchased the house across the street from her and put Troy there with a care giver until his death in 2001.

Mom loved her family, all of them. She was particularly proud of her Grandsons, Ken, Mike and Danny. As the boys grew up Mom was always a willing babysitter for them, enjoying the opportunity to be with them, paying them outrageously for even the most menial task. As each grandsons grew older Mom made sure they each had a vehicle, a truck for Ken, a Camero for Mike and a Honda for Danny. Always fully in support of them, she asked Ken and his wife Natasha to live with her while they earned their college degrees. Four adults, two of them young marrieds living together in Moms three bedroom home while caring for the brother with Alzheimer across the street and remaining a dependable business partner with me. Later she invited Danny to live with her when he needed her strength and support, before he met and married Maggie. She was there for Mike and Marisa to help them buy their new home in Danville and always a loving and supportive Mom to Linda and I.

Through the years Mom was there for each and everyone of us. If we hurt, she hurt. She always maintained a calm and steady exterior but her emotion and love for her family was never questioned. If one of us hurt one of the others she was the first to rally us back into place and make sure the family unit was strong.

Mom had a great love of books, as anyone who ever visited her home knew. She loved reading and learning in any way that she could. She loved her plants and could often be found in her yard weeding, planting, watering and enjoying her beautiful garden. Another of her favorite pasttimes was feeding birds. Sam built her a beautiful arbor which provided her hours of enjoyment, reading her beloved books and watching the birds.

In 2000, Linda moved to Atlanta to begin a new career with the startup company for Cingular, she was the first of Mom’s chicks to move. Then in 2002, Steve retired. Mom and I closed B.J’s and Steve and I moved to Fort Bragg, the second chick to move away. Ken and Natasha graduated and Ken accepted a job as Assistant District Attorney, in Kern County and moved to Bakersfield, the third chick to leave. In 2005 Danny and Maggie followed job opportunities and moved to Sacramento, the fourth chick to leave and finally in 2007, Mike and Marisa moved to Canada courtesy of Chevron, the final chick to leave. Through this all Mom kept the family bond strong. She kept in touch with each and everyone of her chicks and made sure in her quiet and dignified way that they each understood how important family is.

In 1986 when Daddy passed away, Mom, the woman who firmly believed in and actively participated in all family traditions, told us she didn’t think she’d put up a tree. Prior to that we normally had Christmas Dinner at Steve and my house in Livermore. I told her, she’d better put up the tree because we were all coming to her house for Christmas. That began a very strong family tradition for the Russell/Richardson/Mangini families and Christmas Day at Mom’s in Pleasant Hill was not to be missed. Even though she is gone, I have no doubt that she will be watching to see that Family Tradition, so important to her, is continued.

When any of us think of Mom we will remember her pride in her family, her quiet dignity, the joy she found in her home and garden, and her enjoyment of her clown collection.

Through all of her years, all of her caring she was always the most dignified of individuals. When she had her stroke on March 20, 2008 it was her worst nightmare come true. Her left side was completely paralyzed. She went from Hospital to care home, back to Hospital to a care home in Fort Bragg near Steve and I.

I was with Mom most everyday following her stroke. I saw this caring and dignified person suffering the indignities of her illness and inability to eat even the simplest food, until on May 31, 2008 a little more than two months later she, with great dignity and no fuss she fell asleep for the last time.

Mom, we all love you and will miss you more than we thought possible and believe me, we will all work to keep up the family unity that was so very important to you.