Robert Joseph Russ

Robert "Joey" Russ, age 48, of Lakeside died Monday morning April 15th, 2014 at Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center, after a grueling fight against a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma Joey was born in Tucson, Arizona on October 24, 1965 as the only child of Joe E. Russ and Barbara A. Russ. In 1969 the family moved to a small house on Porter Creek in Lakeside, where they established themselves in the community before purchasing a home behind the Blue Ridge schools in the Moon Ridge neighborhood. This is where Joey spent his growing up years, playing on Billy Creek, and playing trumpet for the high school marching band. This home is where he eventually raised his own three children. After graduating from Blue Ridge High School, Joey married Samantha "Sami" Halter also of Lakeside. In order to support his growing family he went to work for Sunrise Ski Resort as a Ski Patroller, where he found he had an affinity for medicine. He was encouraged by his newly extended family to go to college at the Arizona College of Medical and Dental careers, where he became a top level surgical technician. He then spent 7 years in the Phoenix area where he worked for some of the leading surgeons in Orthopedics, Cardiovascular, and cutting edge spinal surgery. When it came time for his children to start school, he brought his family home to the small town of his own youth, Pinetop-Lakeside. Moving into his childhood home, so that he could also take care of his widowed father. Joey was immediately hired by then Navopache Hospital. As a surgical tech he quickly proved himself superior in orthopedics. It wasn't long before he went to work for Dr. Steven D. Washburn M.D. as a private scrub tech. As the years went by Joey became an integral part of Arizona Mountain Orthopedics keeping the books, scheduling surgery, helping to apply casts, removing stitches, and providing wound care. He will be missed by many of the patients he saw over the 17 years he worked there. Joey was very intense when it came to his hobbies. He enjoyed skiing, being a very accomplished skier. He also enjoyed shooting guns of any sort but especially shot guns. He became an instructor for the Scholastic Clay Target program through the Arizona Game and Fish. But in 2006 Joey purchased his first Jeep and that was the beginning of a love affair with Jeeping and Rock Crawling that kept him going even to the last days of his life . He even had planned a trip to Moab, Utah for an Easter Jeep Safari that was to be his final "Bucket List" trip. But God had other plans! Joey is survived by his wife Samantha, 3 children Zachary, Lorianne, and Jeremiah Russ, and 2 half brothers. A memorial will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday April 19, 2014 at The Atrium 4830 Highway 260 in Wagon Wheel. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made at Chase Bank to account number 510233922 in the name of Robert J. Russ for Questions call 928-369-8118.