Russell K. Poyner

‘Merrily/ I fell through time and space/ knowing it wasn’t a race/ but just relaxing and enjoying your presence in this place. Now you’re gone forever/but not really gone at all/just a different time in space/a million miles from this place.’ - Russell K. Poyner

Russell left his earthly life on November 11, 2023. He had an artist’s soul and truly followed his heart in all pursuits of life. He was a friend to everyone and generous to almost obsession. He would do anything for anyone. He loved to give gifts. He lost his words, but we remember his song.

Russell was born and raised in Waterloo, Iowa. His was a life full of incredible stories and adventures. Growing up he was a track star and wrestled Dan Gable, and when a teacher once told him to stop looking out the window, he jumped out it instead. He worked at KWWL in the projection room and climbed the radio towers to change the light bulbs at the top, before any safety equipment was used, because no one else would do it. He volunteered for the draft in 1968 and won the President’s Challenge Fitness Award, the prize for which was a cigarette lighter. He served in Vietnam from 1969-1970 on Army helicopter rescue mission crews and received the Bronze Star for Valor. After the service, he went to college and lived on the river to find peace and poetry. He met and married Kathryn Harrington in 1975 and they began their life together. Russell worked as a heavy equipment operator for many years and built the I-235 interstate in Des Moines. He built a scaled replica of St. Joe’s church at the request of Father Brady, to which he was very dear. When Father Brady passed away, he had Russell build him a casket that the church could use for him and for any who couldn’t afford to buy one. He drove a sand and gravel truck and was always the driver to deliver personal orders because he had the best precision and control, and he would tailor the drop to the customer’s needs for free. He rocked the guitar and loved country music. He reached out to many nameless souls and gave them rides, money and help, never expecting a thing in return. There are hundreds of beautiful tables, cabinets, benches, hall trees, pie safes, chairs, apple wreaths and angels out there that were built by his skilled hands. He owned a Mat and Frame Shop and would craft the most beautiful professional framings of anything you might like and charged almost nothing. Sometimes actually nothing. Uncle Russ’s Home for Unwanted Cats took in many residents, and he loved them all, living with him out in his workshop. He is the scent of sawdust and the warm blaze of an indoor wood fire, snoozing in the cozy family room in the wintertime in shorts and tanks because we are comatose with the heat. He is the beauty of his artwork, which took inspiration truly from whatever struck his artist’s soul. He is the sun on tan skin, driving a boat or drinking iced tea. He was married to the love of his life Kathryn for 48 years and theirs is a love story ended too soon.

Russell loved his wife Kathryn and his daughters Jenna (JJ) Rupprecht and Maggie (Aaron) Siebel. He loved his grandchildren Ella, Mason, Chloe, Sophia, Owen, and Nettie. He loved his parents Cecil and Mardean, and his siblings Deanna (Roger) Lane, Darwin (Cathy) Poyner, Rita (Dusty) Kehoe, and Cecil (Polly) Poyner. He loved his in-laws and his nieces and nephews. Uncle Russ was like a grandfather to many of them.

Russell was a treasure trove of talent and shared everything of himself with his friends, family, loved ones, and the barest of acquaintances. The treasure in his heart and artist’s eye was matched only by the treasures in his boxes, the last of which will hold the man we will always love and miss.

Memorials may be directed to Russell’s wife Kathryn, and will, in the spirit of Russ’ generosity, be distributed to Habitat for Humanity and All Saints Clothing Closet.

Services will include visitation Thursday November 16 from 4-8pm at Runge Funeral and Cremation with prayer service at 4:00, funeral Friday November 17 at 10:30am at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, with visitation one hour before. Lunch and celebration of life to follow at the church. Private burial with family to be held at a later date.