Patricia “Pat” Jane Skinner Russell, 97, died on July 7 at her home on Bainbridge Island shortly after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
She was born on Jan. 18, 1912 in the Ballard area of Seattle. Two years later her family moved to Bainbridge Island, where in 1929 she graduated from Bainbridge High School as salutatorian. She went on to study at the University of Washington, graduating summa cum laude with a master’s degree in health and physical education.
Her teaching career began in Tenino, Wash., where, among other subjects, she guided her young charges in the nuances of cooking on a wood stove. In 1941 she took a position at Bremerton High School, but her life was about to change in profound ways: World War II had begun, and in 1943 she enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps.
She was sent immediately to Mt. Holyoke, Mass., to begin training as an officer. After brief postings in New River, Washington, D.C., and Camp Lejeune, 1st Lt. Pat Skinner returned to Bremerton’s Puget Sound Naval Shipyard before being sent to Honolulu. There she served under “Howling Mad” Smith and Merritt “Red” Edson, assisting in the secret preparations for the invasion of Okinowa, Japan.
During this time she went on what would prove to be a momentous blind date with Rochester “George” Russell, a quiet Marine Corps lieutenant who was recovering from wounds received on Iwo Jima. She was intrigued, and he was smitten; here was a strong-willed woman with access to a Jeep. But the war separated them when George was posted to Tientsin, China.
She was discharged in 1946 and returned to teaching in Bremerton. Always an adventurer, she took a summer road trip to the East Coast with a friend and looked up that dashing Marine she’d dated in Hawaii. On Dec. 28, 1946, they were married.
They returned to Bainbridge in 1948, where they raised three sons and she worked for more than 20 years at Bainbridge High School. During the summer she took her family to Oregon State University, where she received her Masters of Science in marine biology.
One of Pat’s passions was growing rhododendrons, tending her spectacular “field” of several thousand year-round. Over time, Pat’s curiosity and passion for the outdoors took her to Machu Picchu in Peru, the jungles of Costa Rica, the Andes of Ecuador and the coastal ranges of New Zealand.
In 1997, she was included in the inauguration ceremony of the Women in Military Service Memorial in Washington, D.C. This year, at her 97th birthday party, more than 100 friends and family watched with love and respect as she made her entrance flanked by a six-member Marine honor guard.
Pat had a ready smile for everyone, a caring and giving heart, an inspiring sense of adventure, boundless energy and great joy in living.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George; brother Dick; and sister Andrea Skinner. She is survived by her sons Robert (Jill) Russell of Bainbridge Island, Matt (Kate) Russell of Miles City, Mont., and David (Lisa) Russell of Seattle. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Janna and Jannell Russell and Naomi Hubert, all of Bainbridge, and nieces Gretchen LaGrange of New York, Mia Newkirk of Hawaii and Norman Newkirk of Seattle.
She will receive a military burial at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent. A celebration of her life will be at 4 p.m. Aug. 8 at her home on Bainbridge. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bainbridge Island Public Library, 1270 Madison Ave. N., Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. An online guest book is at www.cookfamilyfuneralhome.com.
