Father Raymond R. Russell

Father Raymond R. Russell died Aug. 4, 2015, in Schofield Residence Nursing Facility in Tonawanda, fewer than three weeks before his 90th birthday.

Father Russell was born Aug. 23, 1925, in Lockport, to Henry J. and Anna F. (Burke) Russell. He graduated from Lockport Senior High School before attending St. Joseph's Seraphic Seminary in Callicoon and Our Lady of the Angels Seminary at Niagara University. He was ordained in 1956 in Buffalo.

Father Russell was in the missionary apostolate at St. Mark Parish in Rushford in 1956 before serving as an assistant at St. Peter Parish in Lewiston from 1957-59.

From 1959-63, Father Russell served as an assistant at two parishes in Buffalo, namely St. Matthew and St. Rose of Lima, before being transferred to SS. Peter and Paul in Hamburg in 1963.

He remained in Hamburg until 1966, after which he served as an assistant at St. Joseph's in North Tonawanda from 1966-68, when he briefly served at St. Bartholomew's in Buffalo in 1968 before returning to St. Joseph. He remained there until 1971. Father Russell then served as an assistant at St. Mary in Holley from 1971-73 and at St. Teresa in Buffalo from 1973-74.

In 1975, Father Russell became associate pastor of St. Joseph in Batavia, where he remained until 1989, when he was named parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Buffalo. In 1997, he was named parochial vicar of St. Pius X Parish in Getzville. He retired in 2000.

Visitation will be held on Friday, Aug. 7, from 10-11 a.m. at St. Pius X Catholic Church, Getzville. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Bishop Edward M. Grosz on Friday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. at St. Pius X Church. Priests are invited to concelebrate and Deacons are invited to vest.

The burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery in Lockport.