Calvin Russell 'Russ' Meadows died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Ft. Lauderdale, on Wednesday, February 10, 2016. He was released from the hospital on Sunday, February 7th and the Lord blessed him with the incredible gift of three days at home, surrounded by his loving family and his beloved dog, Nemo. Russ visited with his family, in person, by telephone, on Skype and on Facetime. He had the opportunity to tell and hear stories, to laugh and make others laugh and request and hear songs his beloved brother-in-law, Mark G. Hayden played and sang for him. Russ was surrounded by the sounds of his grandchildren playing, laughter, Nemo barking and people coming and going, which is exactly what he wished for.
Born January 2, 1942, in Harlan, Kentucky, Russ was the oldest son of the late John and Ora E.(nee Davenport), Meadows. Russ graduated from Taylor High School in Cleves, Ohio, in 1960. After his graduation he joined the Navy and was stationed in San Diego, California. Russ served his country for 4 years, and moved back to the Cincinnati area where he began working for General Motors in Norwood, Ohio. In the early 80's, he moved his family to Atlanta, GA to work at the General Motors plant in Lakewood, GA, then relocated to the St. Louis area, where he retired in 1998 from the General Motors plant in Wentzville, Missouri.
Russ was an avid golfer and many, many times, was known to play the game from dawn to dusk. He went on numerous golf trips with his friends and looked forward to each one. Russ enjoyed working in his yard, fishing and camping and was a huge Bengals and Reds fan. Later in life, his all time favorite thing to do was to plan, and go on roadtrips. In 2002, Russ, his wife and his youngest daughter, moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Russ loved his family dearly and would make frequent trips up north to visit them every chance he got.
Russ was a proud father of four children. He and his first wife, Peggy, had two daughters; Theresa A. Akers and Traci M. (Howard) Shoelson. In 1977 he married the love of his life, Sharon L. (nee Hayden), and they enjoyed just shy of 39 years of happy marriage. They had two children; a son, Calvin R. (Kelly) Meadows II and a daughter, Courtney L. Britt. Russ leaves 2 brothers, Michael A. (Sudie) Meadows and Richard D. (Susie) Meadows. His brother, John W. Meadows preceded him in death in 2008.
In addition to his brothers and his children, Russ leaves behind 5 cherished grandsons, Dylan S. (Jessica) Shoelson, Jace K. Shoelson, Calvin R. Meadows III, John J. Britt and Colton F. Meadows. He also leaves behind, the apple of his eye, his beloved, only granddaughter, Kaitlyn A. Britt and his newest pride and joy, great-grandson, Jax L. Shoelson. Russ also leaves behind his beloved brothers and sisters-in-law, as well as a host of dearly loved cousins, nieces and nephews.
Russ was loved and will be missed by all who knew him. A celebration of Russ' life will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio later this summer. Memorial contributions may be made in Russ' memory to, Wounded Warrior Project, PO BOX 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or by visiting the Wounded Warrior website.