Russell Thomas

Russell (Russ) Thomas, 68, of Cincinnati, OH passed away on November 16, 2023.

Born in Cincinnati, OH on January 6, 1955, Russ was adopted by Dr. Louis R. Thomas and Lois (Blalock) Thomas. Russ graduated from Western Hills High School in 1973 after which he went to Gunsmithing School in Colorado. 

Russ worked at Deaconess Hospital in 1978, which is where he met his surviving wife Donna Bell Thomas. They married on May 5, 1979, and had two children, the late Jason Russell and surviving Jessica Rae.

Russ’s most recent two jobs were at Trane and General Electric where he worked as an HVAC technician. 

Russ was an extraordinary man who could fix and accomplish anything that he put his mind to. He enjoyed cooking and baking, and he was known for his fantastic cheesecake. Russ was a hunter, gunsmith, a gun collector, and even belonged to the Cincinnati Glock Team for a few years where he received two trophies: for Perfect Score and Top Score. 

Russ’s ultimate form of relaxation was to sit at the lake and fish. He also loved classic Rock and Roll music that he would often play while simply sitting in front of a fire in his backyard in the evenings.  Russ was a skilled artist who loved to draw all sorts of things but especially pictures of all his family’s dogs through the years. One of his favorite memories was attending the original Woodstock music festival (he was only 14 years old). He loved riding his motorcycle and feeling free in the wind. He loved family vacations to the ocean where he would just float in the salt water and collect seashells. 

Russ was our hippie. He loved wearing and creating tie-dye shirts and his granddaughter even called him Hippa (short for Hippie-pa). Russ officiated about 6 weddings, including family and friends, during which he would wear his tie-dye shirts and sometimes a top hat! Russ was a unique soul and his own person in many ways that would march to the beat of his own drum. Most of all he was a great husband, father, and friend and will be missed dearly by those who knew and loved him. Russ has now finally found peace and is free of all his pain and suffering. 

Russ is survived by his wife, Donna (Bell) Thomas of 44 years, his daughter Jessica (David) Valenti, his grandchildren: Kaylyn Thomas, Scarlett Valenti, and Ophelia Valenti, his father-in-law Llano C. Bell, his two siblings Kimberly Thomas and Wade (Ruth) Thomas, along with numerous nieces and nephews. To those who knew Russ, his dog Ozzy will miss him dearly. 

Russ is preceded in death by his parents Louis and Lois Thomas, mother-in-law Glenna Bell, as well as his son Jason Russell Thomas.

A Celebration of Life Open House will be hosted at Donna’s and Russ’s home on December 7, 2023, from 5:30 to 7:30.  Please come and celebrate Russ’s life with us. In honor of Russ, we ask you to remember to wear bright colors or even tie-dye shirts that he so much enjoyed in life.