Gary Lynn Russell

Gary was born to Ivan Floyd Russell and Louise Julia Torman Russell in Jerome, Idaho on July 16, 1954. Gary was the 4th of 10 children. His family lived in Jerome, Heyburn and eventually settling in Rupert, Idaho. Gary went to college for a couple years at the University of Idaho where he studied Geology. He always had a love for geology and anything doing with rocks. One of his loves was panning for gold. Gold was not the only thing he hunted. He also hunted for opals. Gary met his wife Melody in the Emergency Room at the Rupert, Minidoka Hospital on January 1, 1980. She was in the Emergency Room with her cousin. It was Garys first day working for the Rupert Ambulance Service. As Melody was a brand new EMT, she went to meet the ambulance. The supervisor on the ambulance turned to Melody and told her that he had just hired a new man on the ambulance and didn't have enough company patches, as Melody was returning to school after Christmas, she would need to take the patch off her uniform and give it to the new guy. This new guy was Gary. They were never introduced but he wore a name tag that said "Russell" so she called him "Rus" for several months. He never corrected her and one day she heard someone call him "Gary". She turned to him at that point and asked him his name. Melody would come home from college every weekend and work for the ambulance service. The more time Gary and Melody spent together the more they enjoyed each other's company. During this time They discovered that their birthdays fell on the same day. It was only logical that they get married on their birthdays. It has been an ongoing theme that their celebrate their annibirthdasary. Gary's professional love was emergency work. He has literally thousands of hours in education and training in anything to do with emergency situations. He not only was an owner of an ambulance service but he was also a member of the regional Hazmat team. Gary had a talent that he could fix ANYTHING and everything. He enjoyed sharing his talent with others and if anyone needed anything they could go to Gary and he either had it or he knew how to get it or fix it. One time when he was driving down a street in Shoshone and passed a church. Gary stopped at the church, got out and reset the watering system. When asked how he knew it needed reset? He said that he had driven by earlier and the tractor on the hose was in the same position, meaning it needed reset. This was one of the many, many anonymous acts Gary would do to solve little problems. Gary took pride in serving others. He was an active member in the Shoshone Chamber of Commerce, being one of the few instrumental in building the Gazebo in the city park in Shoshone. Gary was also an active member in the Shoshone Rotary club having at one time serving as president in each organization. Gary spent many years as a volunteer firefighter in Shoshone but his first love was always EMS. In 1985 Gary was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver caused by a disease called Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis which is a disease of the bile ducts. The only cure for this disease was to have a liver transplant. After many years of waiting Gary received his liver transplant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Even though Gary had many health struggles, he never quit serving others and continued working on the ambulance. The Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis continued to ravage his body, doing damage to many of his organs. 11 years after his first liver transplant, Gary learned that his liver once again had cirrhosis of his liver requiring yet another liver transplant. Gary continued to fight health problems, never complaining and always working to serve others. Gary was a deacon in the First Baptist Church in Shoshone. Gary is survived by his wife Melody, and is the proud father of one son,Gregory of North Dakota, and 4 daughters Rebecca of Salt Lake, Teresa serving in the United States Navy stationed in San Diego, Hannah and Rachel both of Shoshone. Sister Colleen(Bruce Cowham)of Boise, brother, Stan(Rose)of Jerome, sister Diane Smith(Mike)of Rupert, sister Ruth Ann Sperry of Rupert,sister Valerie Taylor(Dean)of Boise, brother Brad of Heyburn, brother Brian(Pam)of Meridian, and sister Laurie Van Rossum(Rick)of Boise. Along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Gary is preceded in death by both of his parents, one brother(Michael) and one nephew(Jamie Hinton). The family requests NO FLOWERS.