Obit – Mr. Focian (Bill) Russell
Mr. Focian (Bill) Russell age 88 of Sevierville died peacefully on Wednesday February 4th at the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville following a seven-month battle with cancer.
Funeral services were conducted Friday, February 13th at 3 p.m. in Sevierville at Atchley Funeral Home with Bro. Tim Miller and Bro. Lance Estes officiating.
Graveside services were conducted on Monday afternoon February 16th at 1 p.m. at the Pleasant Shade Cemetery and burial followed in the Russell family lot near his parents, brother, and sister. Bro. Brandon Warden, who is the associate pastor of Freedom Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge, officiated.
He was the fourth surviving child of six children, four sons and two daughters, born to the late Joseph Herod (Joe) Russell who died at the age of 79 on February 6, 1980 and Bessie Irene Piper Russell who died at the age of 91 on May 24, 1996 and was born William Focian Russell in the Little Creek area of the Pleasant Shade Community.
The three siblings preceding him in death were, Joseph Edward (Eddie) Russell who died February 7, 1989 at the age of 43, Webb Allen Russell who died March 3, 2018 at the age of 92 and Kittie Mae Russell Davis who died August 14, 2023 at the age of 95.
With a major in agriculture, he was a member of the 1956 graduating class at Smith County High School where he played basketball the final three years of high school, and was a member of the camera club. His first three years he was the F.F.A. sentinel and his senior year was the F.F.A. secretary and the Barnwarming King.
In 1985, he was united in marriage in Springfield to Portland native, the former Cathy Elaine Briley.
After selling their Oak Grove Community farm in Bethpage, he and Cathy relocated to the Seymour-Sevierville area of Sevier County where he continued his love of farming and again, they purchased a farm and there he enjoyed woodworking and raising a Garden.
For a while he also was employed at Dollywood and the last ten years before his retirement he enjoyed, as did many young men being reared on a farm, mowing. He ended his career mowing the greens at the Sevierville Golf Course.
The Russells were members of the Freedom Baptist Church in Pigeon Forge. Focian was saved as a teenager and was baptized into the full fellowship of the Mount Tabor Missionary Baptist Church in the Pleasant Sade Community.
Surviving in addition to his wife Cathy, of over forty years is three sons, Barry Allen Russell and wife Fay of White House, Joel Kenneth Russell and wife Cindy of Bethpage, Charles William Russell of Portland; three grandchildren, Heathen Lynn Russell Drennan and husband Nick of White House, Ken Russell of Cross Plains, Will Russell of White House; two great granddaughters, Everley Rose Drennan and Ryley Nichole Drennan; sister, Carrie Nell Rusell Hackett of Cookeville and brother, Clyde Wilson Russell of Bethpage.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
