[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 11 (Tuesday, January 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E41-E42]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN RUSSELL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBORAH K. ROSS

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 18, 2022

  Ms. ROSS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my dear 
friend, John Russell, who passed away on November 30, 2021.
  John was a passionate North Carolinian and his contributions to our 
community will live on for years to come.
  Born on October 22, 1954, John spent the early part of his life in 
Greensboro, North Carolina where he was a proud alumnus and three-sport 
athlete at Grimsley High School.
  Music also played a large role in John's upbringing. Growing up, he 
was constantly surrounded by Opera. His mother Peggy, was an

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accomplished Opera singer and founded The Opera Company of North 
Carolina, located in Greensboro. John contributed to his mother's 
legacy by playing a crucial role in the formation and growth of her 
company, which eventually evolved into The North Carolina Opera.
  Following high school, John went on to attend the University of North 
Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating with the highest honors in English 
before receiving a Master's Degree in English and Comparative 
Literature from Columbia University.
  After graduating from Columbia University, John spent a few years as 
the youngest editor ever hired by the Houghton Mifflin publishing 
company before deciding that he wanted to contribute to his community 
in a different capacity. He left New York to enroll in Harvard Law 
School, graduating with honors in 1985 before moving to Raleigh.
  In our home of Wake County North Carolina, John practiced corporate 
law at Moore & Van Allen for 12 years. After, he joined Quintiles 
Transnational Corporation and during his tenure, he rose from Executive 
Vice President to General Counsel, eventually becoming the Chief 
Administrative Officer. In 2008, John became a partner in the Life 
Science Practice of the global law firm K&L Gates, where he practiced 
until his retirement in 2017.
  John was extremely involved in the community and served on many 
boards and advisory roles including the North Carolina Railroad 
advisory, the Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO), 
Elon Law School, the Center for Studies of the American South, the 
Gilling's School of Global Public Health, and countless others. This 
work is a testament to his character and his love for the people of our 
state and our community.
  On top of these contributions, John's passion for literature led him 
to write two novels, ``Favorite Sons'' (1992), winner of the Sir Walter 
Raleigh Award for fiction, and ``All the Right Circles'' (2019). Both 
examine North Carolina politics, society, and history. He also was an 
avid member of our Triangle wide book club, and we enjoyed our time 
together sharing thoughts and opinions about the nonfiction books we 
read.
  John lived an exceptional life, and I will always be grateful that I 
had the pleasure of knowing him. He was a dedicated husband, devoted 
father, and a loving uncle and son. He will be forever missed by his 
wife Kelley, children Caroline, Taylor, Katie, Roddy, Fields, and Bess, 
as well as his beloved sister Susan, father, John B. Russell, and 
grandsons George and Oliver. I miss him dearly and look forward to 
highlighting his legacy and honoring his service to our community for 
years to come.

                          ____________________