Dr. Tony Russell, 81, has died in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was a former resident of Calhoun County.

Russell, ignoring his impressive educational credentials, listed his life experiences on his web page: "A naturalist, gardener, poet, photographer, and peace activist, he has worked as a carhop, as a busboy, as foreman of a crew clearing fire lanes, as a day care provider, as an Upward Bound director, as an advocate for senior citizens, as manager of an apartment complex, as a laborer in a glass factory, as a teacher and school administrator, and as an outreach worker for a health care center. He also served--many years ago--as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa."

He was also a coon hunter.

Russell would be on my top ten list of outstanding human beings I have met in my lifetime.

While I could write pages about the man, I recall a fascinating experience from his college days. He made J. Edgar Hoovers secret list of a million or so US citizens of people to watched, a subversive character.

While attending college at Marshal University, he joined groups that protested for the civil rights movement and was an anti-war activist.

The FBI created a dossier on Russell, interviewing individuals of his acquaintance.

For a decade he wrote a column for the Hur Herald called "Of Principalities and Powers."

God rest his quiet and gentle soul.