Russ, or RB as I like to call him, will always be my guy, my sweet man, my husband, my dearest love.   We were in it for the long haul, we were lifers.  Through good times and bad, happy and sad, we remained "us".  Life was full of blessings and happy times, as well as periods of pain and sadness.  As it has a way of doing over time, life wore us down.  The important thing is, we survived. God's grace and our true love for one another got us through many of life's trials.  We were  for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, quite literally.  

Here are some of my best memories of my guy, Russ.  ( I love you forever, honey.)

 Russ loved to read.  He liked Travis McGee  novels (author John MacDonald).   Besides being a good read, Russ liked where the stories took place: Florida. He was crazy about Florida; he went there a lot. Mostly the Keys.    His best friend Peter and he were tired of winter one year and they steamed up the townhouse they were living in in order to create "Florida Keys" on Wakeby Lane in Schaumburg.  

Russ was fascinated with history.  He loved learning.  One aspect of our US history that Russ really got into was the assassination of President John F Kennedy.  He devoured book after book on the subject, and wrote about it, too.  He even went to Dallas to travel the route the motorcade took on the day JFK was shot.  While in Dallas, he managed to find  Lee Oswald's wife Marina and attempted to talk with her!  Russ was a regular contributor on Dr John McAdams' JFK assassination newsgroup on the web.  

Russ was a runner in high school and college.  He held many records and was very proud of this.  He always told me that when he ran, he felt so free.  I wonder if he's running up in heaven, with his new, able body and perfect health.