| |
| |
|
|
| |
An Open Letter To My Dear Friend, Russ
R
uss Fons passed away on Aug. 19 at his home in Las Vegas after fighting a long battle against colon cancer that lasted seven years. He was the owner and operator of Russ Fons Public Relations. But Russ was so much more than a business owner.
To Russ, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Russ, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Russ really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.
Russ enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An arts-and-crafts type, Russell liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were writing songs and screenplays, smoking fine cigars and traveling.
Russ felt excited and challenged by sports, including deep-sea fishing. Russ was also a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were professional basketball, especially the Phoenix Suns, professional football, especially the Green Bay Packers, and professional baseball, especially the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers.
Russ was an active member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and a number of Press Clubs. He was also a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce. Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Russ recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of Summerlin Evangelical Lutheran Church. During that time, he was the financial secretary.
Russ was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included the Prisms Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of PRSA, the Protos Award from the Orange County Chapter of PRSA, and the LULU award from Los Angeles Advertising Women.
Russ was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Russ’ favorites was Chipper, the wonder bird, a parakeet. They were best friends for two years. His bilingual parakeet named Blue and a box turtle named Lightning rounded out his family.
Russ is survived by his children, Tracy and Denise; his grandchildren Nathan, Nicole, Levi and Olivia; his sister, Marilyn and his sweetheart, Terese. Services were held at Summerlin Evangelical Lutheran Church Aug. 24. Russ wished to have his ashes scattered in Wisconsin, Arizona and Nevada.
Russ brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Russ lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Debbie Hall is a writer and broadcaster that covers food, entertainment and real estate in Nevada. Check out her blog at www.diningwithdebbie.com.
The above article is the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Vegas Community Online, its editors/publishers, and/or other Vegas Community Online columnists. VCO respects the right of each author to express their opinion. If you have an opposing viewpoint or would like to send feedback on any article, please send email to feedback@vegascommunityonline.com; state the title of the article and your comments. VCO reserves the right to add any submissions to its feedback page.
|
|
|
|
