Robert Russel

Robert “Bob” Russell was born on Easter Sunday in 1925 in Binghamton, New York. He grew up just outside the city and graduated from Binghamton North High School in January 1943. After graduation, Bob enlisted in the Army and was sent to Fort Dix, New Jersey, in April 1944. Following his training at Lawson Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, Bob served as a medical technologist in England, France, Italy, and Germany with the 254th General Hospital.

After the war, Bob was assigned to Camp Atterbury in Indiana. In 1946, he enlisted for an additional three years at Camp Atterbury and was honorably discharged in May 1949 with the rank of Corporal. Following his discharge from the Army, Bob returned to Binghamton and landed a job at a local drugstore. The owners were so impressed with him that they offered to pay his way through five years at the Albany College of Pharmacy in Albany, NY. Bob hitchhiked between Albany and Binghamton on weekends to continue working at the drugstore. He never forgot the kindness of his employer and later paid it forward by helping out his own employees, friends, and relatives financially. After graduating, he continued working for the same owners, who had opened several stores by then. Bob also became a Pharmacology instructor at Broome Community College in Binghamton.

Bob met his wife, Connie, in 1957 at a drugstore while she was picking up a prescription for a mutual friend. At that time, Bob was 32 and a confirmed bachelor. However, after Connie left, he told the clerk at the pharmacy, “I’m going to marry that girl!” He immediately called the mutual friend and asked, “Who was that? You have to set us up!” The rest is history. Bob and Connie got married in 1958 in her hometown of Altadena, California. They soon welcomed their daughter, Nancy, and a few years later, their son, Christopher, living in Binghamton, NY, for their entire married life. They were active volunteers in the community and enjoyed dancing, traveling, and entertaining. Bob purchased his own pharmacy in 1964 and owned it for a little over 20 years before retiring in 1985. He then worked as a pharmacist at the Binghamton Psychiatric Center for a few years.

In 1991, after 32 years of marriage, the love of his life passed away. Following this loss, Bob became involved with several volunteer organizations in the Binghamton area to keep himself busy. In 2001, he relocated to Cockeysville, Maryland, to be closer to his daughter and her family. Since 2020, Bob has been living at the Pickersgill Retirement Community in Towson, Maryland. Last year, Bob was honored with a "Salute to Service" tribute conducted by Gilchrist Hospice military veteran volunteers and staff. Bob received a "We Honor Veterans" pin from the Veterans Administration along with a handmade patriotic lap blanket, which he proudly uses nearly every day.

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