Russell Douglas Stevens

We regret to inform you that our beloved brother, Russell Douglas Stevens passed Peacefully from this Earth on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, due to Covid-19, the Corona Virus. He was on the 8th floor of Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. Thank you to all the Doctors and Nurses that attended to this gentle giant of a man. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, December 10 and 11, 2020, at O’Connor Funeral Home with a graveside service at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, 2020 at Highland Cemetery. Masks and social distancing guidelines will be followed. Russell was a premature baby born on September 15, 1942, to Loving parents, Mabel and Robert Stevens. He enjoyed numerous trips to Grandfather Jacobson’s ranch in the Bear Paw Mountains, close to the Chief Joseph Battlefield. Russell attended local Great Falls Schools, Roosevelt, Paris Gibson Junior High, and Great Falls High School. He enjoyed many family camping and road trips. The longest camping road trip was a three week journey to Alaska on the Alaskan Highway in 1960. During that time the highway was a dusty, gravel 1,000 mile road. Russell was active in the Cub Scouts and then the Boy Scouts, where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He went with his Boy Scout troop, as well as other Great Falls troops by train to the Boy Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. While in high school, Russell had a daily paper route with the Great Falls Tribune. Later, he was a box boy at the North side IGA. After graduating GFHS in 1960, he attended the University of Montana in Missoula for 1 year. Since the Vietnam War and the draft were ongoing, Russell joined the US Air Force to see the World. The USAF trained Russell and sent him back to Great Falls to Malmstrom AFB to serve in a Supply Unit. He was then sent to Guam AFB, where the B-52 Bombers flew on bombing missions during the Vietnam War. After being honorably discharged, Russell returned to Great Falls. He worked for many years at Frontier Dodge until they went out of business. He then worked briefly, at Western Motors, the Volkswagon dealership. Russell then went to work for City Motors in November of 1980, as a car preparation cleaner. During these years, Russell lived at home with his parents helping with the family’s large garden, two apple trees, and yard work. After Russell’s father, Robert passed due to Colon Cancer in June of 1986, while still working at City Motors, he became very involved in caring for his mother, Mabel. Mabel passed away in May of 2003 due to Parkinson’s disease. Russell continued to maintain the family home. With Russell’s older brother, Larry and younger brother, Robert Jr. he enjoyed many trips. He especially enjoyed going to Glacier Park, in particular, Lake MacDonald and the hotel. In June of 2010, he went with Robert Jr. and his friend, Han from China, to Glacier and Yellowstone. While there, they saw more animals than Robert had ever seen in the parks. Including, mountain sheep and goats, black and grizzly bear, elk, bison, and deer. Unfortunately, in January of 2012, Russell almost froze to death in a Montana blizzard with the temperature dropping to -30 F and snow. Due to this, Russell ended his 30 years and 3 months of working for City Motors after losing both hands. He learned to feed himself with his clamp on tool. Even after losing both hands, Russell enjoyed helping shovel snow at the family home with his brother, Robert. In the fall, he could rake leaves into piles faster than Robert could bag them. Russell moved to Cambridge Court in June 2012, which was the former Deaconess Hospital, where he was born and his mom, Mabel worked as a nurse. He lived there until it closed in 2019. He then moved to the Rainbow Adult Living. He continued his travels with his brothers. They went on an Alaskan Cruise leaving from Vancouver, British Columbia, up the Inland Passage to Valdez, Alaska, by bus to Denali Park, and by railroad to Anchorage in May of 2013. September of 2018, found them, along with his nephew, Laurence, on the road again to Banff and Jasper, Canada. September of 2019, Laurence joined them for Russell’s final trip to Glacier and Lake MacDonald. Due to the virus and travel restrictions by the Rainbow, Russell did not go on any more road trips in 2020. He did stay up late to watch the 4th of July fireworks in Great Falls. During Russell’s entire life he never complained about anything. He was always very helpful, doing whatever needed to be done. He was cheerful and always had a smile on his face. He is survived by his older brother, Larry who lives in Maine; younger brother, Robert who lives in Oregon; nephew, Laurence and niece, Tara both who live in New Jersey; and niece, Christina who lives in Maine. We have the ability to live stream. Please call O'Connor Funeral Home at 406-453-7257, if you are interested. A celebration of life will be held in the summer of 2021 depending upon Covid restrictions.