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April 20, 2019

William J. Russell

William (“Bill”) James Russell, age 58, passed away April 20, 2019 following a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease.

He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Alice Burns Russell; his daughter, Danielle Russell and her husband, Tom DeFalco; his daughter, Jaime Russell; and many close family members and friends.

Born and raised in Cambridge, Bill spent his elementary school years at St. Peter’s, then went on to attend Matignon High School and Framingham State University. In the early ‘90s, Bill founded his own real estate appraisal business, Bostonian Appraisal. He was a Trustee and Vice President of the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers (MBREA), and was next in line to become the President when his battle with Parkinson’s began. Bill woke up and went to work every day with a smile on his face. When people asked him how he was doing, he would reply “Never been better”.

Bill was the ultimate family man. He met Alice, the love of his life, when he was 12 years old and she was ten, and their many years of friendship blossomed into a loving marriage. Bill and Alice were married in 1986 and were blessed with their two beautiful daughters, Danielle and Jaime. Their two daughters brought them the most joy in life, and he cherished the time they all spent together as a family.

Bill and his family have been long-time residents of Hingham since 1993. They are members of the Hingham Yacht Club and enjoyed spending summers on the water watching their daughters sail, as well as summer nights and weekends on the boat with friends and family. He felt fortunate to have traveled with his family to many incredible places around the world, including a most memorable trip captaining a 38’ catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. He also took great pleasure in the many years they shared together at their home on Marco Island. An avid golfer, Bill was a long-time member of South Shore Country Club in Hingham. He enjoyed spending Sunday mornings on the golf course and eagerly looked forward to the neighborhood golf tournaments each year.

Bill will always be remembered for his enduring love for his family and friends, his beautiful smile and his incredible sense of humor. He kept everyone around him laughing and inspired by his intelligence, resiliency and tireless work ethic.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Wednesday from 4-8 PM at the  Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald Street, Hingham, Massachusetts. A celebration of his life will be held on Thursday at 9:15 AM at  Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, followed by a funeral service at St. Paul’s Parish at 10 AM and a burial in St. Paul’s Cemetery, Hingham.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Bill’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.