Bob Russell died early on the morning of Christmas Eve at his farm near Cobden, Illinois. His son John Patrick reports that, "He died at home, surrounded by all his family, with Psalms being read, and Christmas carols being sung." Visitation and funeral at First Presbyterian Church of Carbondale was followed by his burial at the farm.

Bob met the love of his life, his wife Lenore, while they both taught at a boarding school in Hawaii. He later earned his doctorate at Stanford University and joined the faculty there, rising to the rank of Professor. Don Boydston recruited him to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he spent the remainder of his professional career. He was to be one of the key figures in making SIUC the premier doctoral program in health education.

Bob was an outstanding teacher and very popular with the students at SIUC. He mentored a number of of graduate students who have gone on to become national leaders in the field of health education. For decades his summer workshops in health education drew students from around the nation and overseas to spend two weeks in Carbondale under his tutelage.

When the National Education Association and the American Medical Association decided to jointly publish a health education textbook they turned to Bob Russel to author the text. The result was textbook of greater philosophical unity and depth than any rival before or since and a model of clarity in writing.

Bob was a pioneer in the areas of death education and of the study of spiritual health. He was a leader in the Presbyterian Church and active in the cause of peace and social justice through the Church. His nondenominational spirituality group drew students, faculty and community to study and grow together.