Hawaii - Richard Ford Russell died peacefully at his home on September 22nd, 2025, his wife Jileen and son Zac by his side. Born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, on November 19, 1956, Richard was the eldest of five children to George and Jane Russell. His early passions defined his life among Pacific Northwest forests, climbing Mount Rainier, and traveling the length of the Salish Sea.

Richard had a spirit beyond the Northwest attending Phillips Exeter ('76) and then Stanford ('80), where he studied international relations. After graduation, Richard moved back to the Northwest to focus on painting and would meet Jileen on a beach one sunset. They married in 1982 and moved to London, where Richard joined the family business The Frank Russell Company. On their return to the states, Richard and Jileen welcomed their son Zac. In 1999, Richard and Jileen founded Pu'u O Kumau Ranch in North Kohala, Hawaii, which embodied their belief that business could regenerate rather than extract and communities could be built around shared values.

Richard's artistic output throughout his life was prolific. He painted, primarily in oils. He was a musician and songwriter, produced twelve albums, and created documentary films. His art was how he processed and shared his experience of the world.

Richard's most lasting work may be in philanthropy. He co-founded The Russell Family Foundation in 1999 with his parents and siblings, where he served as a trustee and president granting close to $150 million to local initiatives throughout the Salish Sea region. In 2021, he co-founded Clementine Fund with Jileen, Zac, and his daughter-in-law Mariko. As executive director Richard originated a new approach, modeling trust-based philanthropy through streamlined grantmaking and unrestricted gifts. Richard believed that real change happens when funders step back so communities can step forward, a vision fully realized with Clementine Fund.

Richard approached his various roles - businessman, artist, philanthropist, husband, father, grandfather - not as separate identities but as expressions of a single philosophy: that life is meant to be lived fully and talents are meant to be shared. He made people everywhere feel seen and valued. Creativity flourished in his presence because judgment did not.

Richard often watched the Pacific Ocean perform its daily drama of light and water from his home perched on the world's edge, rarely missing a sunset with Jileen. He is survived by Jileen, his wife of forty-two years; his son Zac and daughter-in-law Mariko; his grandson Rumi; his father George Russell; and three siblings Dion, Eric and Sarah.