Lucille “Lucy” M. Russell

Lucille “Lucy” M. Russell, nee Sharkey, 66, of Shiloh, IL, born Friday, November 26, 1954, in Lebanon, PA, passed away after battling a prolonged illness on Friday, December 4, 2020 at her home surrounded by her family while enjoying her favorite show, Law and Order SVU.

Lucy went to school in Campbelltown and Palmyra, PA. She obtained her BS in Speech Pathology and Audiology from California State University in Sacramento, CA. She completed a Masters program in Adult Education from University of Phoenix. Prior to becoming a military spouse and living all over the world for 20 plus years, she was an Outside Sales specialist for Rugby Labs based out of Carrollton, TX with Eastern Oklahoma as her territory. This is where she met her husband K.R. They married on August 31, 1985 and just celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary.
She was a substitute teacher for many area schools, with the most of her time being spent at Whiteside Elementary until her retirement in 2011. Lucy volunteered as a tutor at SWIC and CASA, and enjoyed doing crafts and making jewelry. Her other favorite TV series was “Dark Shadows” and her favorite song was “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge.

Her flowers in the yard were her pride and joy, especially when the hibiscus was in full bloom. Her sense of humor showed in all situations and she lived life to the fullest. The last few years she enjoyed going to University of Oklahoma football games, and watching the local professional team when they were here.

She is preceded in death by her:

• parents, Charles Sharkey and Lucille Sharkey nee Spangler
• brother, Arthur Charles Sharkey
• dear pets, Beethoven, Gracy, and Samson

Surviving are her:

• husband, Kenneth R. Russell Jr. of Belleville, IL
• son, Skailer Russell of Fairview Heights, IL
• daughter, Krystal Russell of Fairview Heights, IL
• three children from a previous marriage
• three brothers-in-law of Muskogee, OK
• four sisters-in-law of Muskogee, OK
• four grandchildren
• dear nieces and nephews, and cousins
• beloved pets, Zoey and Chubaca.

A special thank you to the doctors and staff at Cancer Care of O’Fallon. She tried to brighten their day when she was getting treatments and she loved every one of them. Lucy’s neighbors held a special place in her heart. They were loving and irreplaceable, always comforting her.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children Research or the American Cancer Society.

Visitation: Visitation from 9:00 am – 11:30 am, Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Kurrus Funeral Home, Belleville, IL.

Funeral: Funeral Services will be held at 11:30 am, Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Kurrus Funeral Home with Chaplain Cindy Culver officiating. Private Family Interment will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO.

To view a live stream of the service CLICK HERE at time of service