Jean Conway Logan Russell, age 89, died peacefully on February 5th, 2019, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton, Georgia after having suffered a stroke days prior. Jean was born on September 28th, 1929 in Savannah, Georgia, to Eula Mae Best Logan and Edward Adger Logan.
The daughter of a highway engineer, her family moved frequently, eventually settling in Ocilla, Georgia where Jean would meet her future husband, Ralph Edward Russell, the older brother of her good friend, Margaret “Binky” Russell.
Jean graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon Georgia in 1950, and she and Ralph married the following September. They raised their two children, Robert and Kay, in the Decatur/Atlanta area where Jean worked as a part-time substitute teacher in the Decatur school system. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and the Junior League.
Upon her husband’s retirement, Jean and Ralph settled in their beloved St. Simons Island in 1989. There they were active members of the St. Simons Presbyterian Church. Jean loved the island, and had a particular fondness for nature, able to name every plant, flower, or bird. She loved history and genealogy and took great pride in her family, always taking time to send a card or newspaper clipping to show her loved ones she cared. She was an avid traveler, turning heads worldwide with her beautiful Savannah drawl. Jean spent the last eight years of her life in the Atlanta area, surrounded by family.
Jean was predeceased by her parents, Eula Mae Best Logan and Edward Adger Logan; her younger brother, Edward Logan, Jr.; and her beloved husband, Ralph Edward Russell. She is survived by her two children, Robert Russell (Joan) and Kay Trainor (Charles); five grandchildren, Matthew Russell (Daniella), Michael Trainor (Kathryn), Daniel Russell (Shawniece), Amy Ashby (John), and James Russell (Farrah); and six great grandchildren––with a seventh on the way.
A visitation service will be held Friday, February 15th from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m., at the Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home, 3321 Glynn Ave., Brunswick, Georgia. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, February 16th at 11 a.m., at the St. Simons Presbyterian Church, 205 Kings Way, St. Simons Island, Georgia. A memorial service will follow in the Atlanta area, date TBD.
In leu of flowers, donations may be made to The Medical Center Auxiliary, 743 Spring Street, Gainesville, GA, 30501, in appreciation for the wonderful hospice nurses who cared for Jean at the end of her life. Donations can be made online at wghs.com/lovelight.