Justin Edward Russell

Justin Russell passed away suddenly on Monday, November 6, 2018 at the age of 34.

Justin was born March 9, 1984 in Bryan, Texas to Jeffery Allen Russell and Rose Marie Wilganowski. Growing up with his four siblings and one adopted sister, Justin attended Mumford Elementary School. Justin was a very active young man who loved computers and drawing, especially anime. He enjoyed music and was very quick to learn how to play the keyboard. As a teenager, Justin was very outgoing and made friends easily, loving to hang out with his friends. When he graduated from Franklin High School in 2002, he was picked to play the keyboard at the graduation ceremony. Justin then went off to TSTC in Waco for two years to study graphic design.

After TSTC, Justin joined the U.S. Army, where he served our country as a Specialist in two overseas deployments. He was part of the 463rd Engineer Battalion out of West Virginia where he served in Iraq in 2004. In 2008 he was deployed to Afghanistan and served with the 420th Engineer Brigade out of Bryan. After his tours with the Army, Justin returned to Bryan to start his new life. Currently, Justin was at LSP Transportation in Hearne where he was just promoted to Dispatch Supervisor. Every job he had Justin gave 100% of his effort. In his free time, he played the piano, guitar, and keyboard. He also enjoyed going hiking, bowling, traveling and exploring, and playing video games. He had big plans to travel the world and see new places. He loved watching movies, from horror and science fiction to comedies like Monty Python.

Justin was a good father to his son Killian and a good husband to his wife CiCi Hovsepian. He enjoyed camping and spending quality time with his son, who was his whole world. He would do anything he could for Killian, and the pair were very close. Family was very important to Justin. He used to enjoy getting together with his family and friends, coming up with random recipes to try to grill. When he cooked, he tried to use the most amount of ingredients possible. Although the brothers did not hang out a lot, they did not need to. All knew the love they had for one another, they were best friends.

Justin was a very quiet and shy person until you got him talking. Then you better watch out. He loved to throw big barbeques and invite all his friends to come over to hang out and have fun, and they would drive in from all over the state. He had very few enemies and tons of friends who all considered him family. He was a very kind and selfless person who loved unconditionally and put others’ needs before his own. His door was always open and he was willing to help anyone in need. Although he did not practice the Catholic faith which he was baptized into, Justin did believe in a higher power that we do not understand, but which connects us all. He believed in being peaceful and loving to others and clearly passed this on to his son Killian who would like to “give everyone peace and harmony.”

Justin leaves behind his wife CiCi Hovsepian, his son Killian Russell and Killian’s mom Bridget Russell, his father Jeffery Allen Russell and his wife Lisette Lamagdeleine of Joplin, Missouri, his brother and sister-in-law TJ and Deborah Ribardo of Garland, Texas, his brother and sister-in-law Robert and Zoie Russell of Web City, Missouri, his brother Joe Russell and his fiancé Lyndsey Ramirez of College Station, his sister and brother-in-law Jennifer and Jerry White of Baxter Springs, Kansas, and his adopted sister Chih-Ting Hsu (Ruby). He is reunited with his mother Rose Marie Wilganowski of Houston, who passed away just two months ago.

To honor Justin’s life, his family has planned a visitation on Saturday, November 10, 2018 from 1 until 2 and again from 3 until 4 in the chapel of Hillier Funeral Home of Bryan. His Life Celebration service will be at 2 PM, also in the chapel of Hillier Funeral Home of Bryan. We invite friends to share stories during this time.