Jim Kevin Russell; Oct. 22, 2012

Jim Kevin Russell, 57, of Madison for the last 22 years, passed away Monday, Oct. 22.

Mr. Russell, born and raised in Birmingham, attended Ramsey High School and graduated from the University of Alabama in 1981 with an electrical engineering degree. “Roll Tide, Roll!”
He was a loving father, devout Christian and a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church. He invented the Laser Ranger (optics) on the space shuttle and was project manager of the James Webb Space Telescope. Kevin worked at Lockheed in Houston, Texas and then NASA in Huntsville. He enjoyed building and flying remote control helicopters.

Mr. Russell was preceded in death by his parents, John Oliver Russell and Edith Alexander Russell, and a brother, Jesse Bruce Russell.

Survivors include sons, Shane Alexander Russell, Micah Krafft Russell and Jacob Kevin Russell, all of Huntsville; sisters, Shelia Russell of New York City and Stella Russell Lowman of Birmingham; and brothers, Shawn F. Russell of Tuscaloosa, John D. Russell of Raleigh, NC, Joshua Russell and Micah Russell, both of Birmingham.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. The funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26 at the funeral home chapel with Pastor Eric Zellner officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Vanderbilt University Shy-Drager MSA Research Fund, c/o Vanderbilt University Gift Processing, PMB 407727, Nashville, TN 37240-7727. Make checks payable to “Vanderbilt Medical Center” “Vanderbilt Shy-Drager Research Fund”. This will insure that the funds will go to MSA research only