It is with great sorrow that we inform you that one of our Jr. Midget football coaches, Coach Mark Russell, passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack last Friday. “Russ” as he was referred to by his colleagues and the players, joined the T-Birds this season. Although only part of our coaching family for a short period, Russ left his mark on the Jr. Midget squad and was one of the “favorites” of the players, especially his lineman. He had a gift for connecting with the boys, making them feel a part of the team, and pushing them to make decisions more like empowered adults.
Mark is survived by his wife, Jan, and his four children, Allie, 21, Steve, 23, Matt, 25 and Kelly, 27. Mark worked in the commercial banking industry for 34 years and has coached semi-pro football and for both St. Ignatius and Freedom High Schools to name a few. His passions were football and drums (he played in garage bands for years).
For those of you who are interested in attending, there will be a memorial service at St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church, 5562 Clayton Road, Concord, CA, 94521, (925) 672-5800, on Friday evening, Nov. 4, at 7:00 p.m. Everyone in the T-Bird community is invited to attend to show our support to the Russell family. There will be a hosted reception following the service. We encourage as many of our coaches and families to attend as possible and thank you for your consideration of this gesture.
Coach Russ will be missed. Check Gumby!
Thank you Coach Russ. You really made an impact on these young players. They miss you.
The Wallunas Family