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Donald Ray (“Don”) Russell Pawleys Island Don Russell, 92, died April 16, 2019, at home. He was born July 17, 1926, in Portsmouth, Ohio, to the late Nannie Mae “Nan”(nee Richardson) and James Taylor “J.T.” Russell. Don grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. After graduating from Henry Clay High in 1944, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served aboard the U.S.S. Iowa in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he returned to Lexington and received a B.S. in mining engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1950. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and served as its president. In 1949 he married his Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, Mary Elizabeth (“Liz”) Montague. Liz died in August 2018. Don is survived by their daughter, Patricia Lee Russell, and husband Marc Camin, San Diego; sons Stephen Montague Russell and wife Jayne, Pawleys Island; Don Taylor Russell and wife Catherine, Charlotte; and David Foster Russell and wife Robin, Myrtle Beach; grandchildren Carlin, Stephen, Temperance, Foster, Grainger, and Miranda; and his sister Lee Korn and husband Henry “Hank,” Sarasota. His brother Cordell Russell died in 2007. A career in the paper and packaging industry that spanned 40 years took Don and his family to St. Louis; Cleveland; Cincinnati; Westport, Conn.; Minneapolis; Columbus; Middletown, Ohio; and Hartsville. Don and Liz retired to Pawleys Island in 1988. Don joined Sonoco Products Co. in Hartsville as vice president, paper division, in 1971. He went on to become senior vice president, corporate development, and served on the board of directors for over ten years. Don also served on the board of directors for Dopaco Inc. Prior to joining Sonoco, Don was vice president and general manager of Diamond National Corporation, and president and general manager of Raymond Bag Co. After retiring from Sonoco, Don continued to pursue business interests. He formed Rimco International, a consulting group assisting companies with mergers and acquisitions. He was also the founder of Inrtek, a corporation that pioneered efforts in the field of injury reduction in the industrial workplace. Wherever his career took him, Don was active in professional, civic, and philanthropic endeavors. Committed to creating new opportunities for innovative businesses, Don served as trustee and chair of the Technical Advisory Board of the South Carolina Research Authority. As chair of the Recycled Paperboard Division of the American Paper Institute (API), Don was an early advocate of the benefits of recycling to the economy. He later served as president of the API. Don was a member of the board of trustees of the Middletown Civic Association, a director of the Middletown Chamber of Commerce, on the board of directors for Junior Achievement, Middletown, and a member of the Rotary Club. Don was also a proud Kentucky Colonel, and he established the Donald R. Russell Scholarship for mining engineering students at the University of Kentucky. He also served on the vestry of the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Middletown. For all his other interests and activities, Don’s greatest passion was tennis. In his post-retirement years, he played in countless tournaments, locally, throughout the southeast and even traveling to tournaments as far away as California. In the United States Tennis Association rankings for South Carolina, Don achieved the ranks of number two in doubles in the 75 and above age group, and number two in singles in the 80 and above age group. Don’s intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm, and passion for life were never-ending. He was an avid student of history, he and Liz were always first on the dance floor to jitterbug, and they loved to entertain, making everyone feel welcome in their home. Don was a devoted husband and father, a mentor to many, and a friend to all. The family will receive friends from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Tuesday, April 23, at the Celebration Center, Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel in Murrells Inlet. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the South Carolina Research Authority: https://www.scra.org/get-involved/donations/ Sign an online guestbook at www.goldfinchfuneralhome.com Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel in Murrells Inlet, is in charge of the arrangements.

Tributes

Donald Ray "Don" Russell

July 17, 1926 - April 16, 2019