Elvin Francis "Russ" Russell, Jr., age 83 of Argyle, Texas passed away peacefully at home on October 21, 2021 surrounded by his family. Russ was born in Fort Worth to Elvin F. "Buck" Russell and Lucille (Styron) Norwood.

Russ grew up and lived most of his life in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He graduated from Paschal High School and attended Texas Christian University.

As a young boy, Russ learned his strong work ethic from his father. He did a little bit of everything from working on his aunt and uncles farm in Glen Rose to eventually becoming a butcher in his father's country store. Russ learned photography in Army reserve training. He went to work for the Fort Worth Star Telegram as a field photographer where he won national notoriety for his photos.

While working at the Star Telegram, he began what would become the first of many entrepreneurial ventures by showing up to local baseball fields on the weekends and taking team and action shots of children playing. He would develop the film and show back up the next weekend to sell the photos to the parents. Team photos are commonplace now, but in the 1950's it took a creative mind to come up with a venture like that.

Russ found the love of his life taking pictures for a story on the YMCA and one of their programs. There he found Kay, who was as pretty in pictures as she was in real life. Russ and Kay married in 1956 and shortly afterwards moved to Ohio after being recruited by the Associated Press. However, it didn't take the Texan long to realize that home was in Texas. They moved back to Dallas, but not before encountering a start-up roast-beef sandwich shop, Arby's. After moving back to Texas, Russ and Kay realized that there wasn't anything like Arby's in Dallas, so they started Russell's Roast Beef on Lover's Lane & Inwood Road. Of course, Russ could never hold down just one job, so while starting a new business he was also a photographer for the Dallas Times Herald.

As a sports photographer, Russ was the Times Herald's photographer who followed the Dallas Cowboys. Traveling on the team plane to away games, Russ became good friends with several of the players, including Mr. Cowboy himself, Bob Lilly. Russ brought in some investors and with his pictures and Bob's name and story telling ability, they started the Bob Lilly Pro Report, a weekly newspaper – the first of its kind in the country! A few years later, Tex Schramm approached Russ and said that they wanted an official team-owned paper. Russ was happy to have the team name behind the venture, now called The Dallas Cowboys Weekly, and stayed on as the official team photographer and publisher. Russ stayed on as the publisher of the Weekly for over 35 years, at one point being the longest tenured employee of the Cowboys.

Russ started, owned and managed many other successful ventures throughout the years as a serial entrepreneur. In the restaurant business, he went on to own Cheep Cheep Fried Chicken, The Sports Page (a sports themed restaurant where the walls were covered with pictures he had taken over the years. After running those restaurants, he discovered that all of the profit was in the booze, and alcohol doesn't spoil. He purchased an old single screen movie theatre off of Harry Hines and Northwest Highway and converted it into a bar where he owned several night clubs; which evolved from The Old Theatre, The Circle Disco then later Cotton-Eyed Joes. He also owned the Rocking R Bar in Denton, Texas. Russ started two bingo halls, one in Denton in a closed Safeway building that he converted and another in the Old Theatre.

In 1979, Russ, Kay and their children, Elvin F. "Rusty" and Mark moved to Argyle so that Russ could pursue another of his passions – horse racing. Throughout the years, he owned, bred, trained and raced quarter horses. This was more than a hobby and he had several extremely successful horses.

As successful as he was in business, he was most proud of and enjoyed nothing more than his family. Russ married his wife Kay in 1966 and together they had two children – Rusty and Mark. Despite always having multiple jobs, he was always there for his family. When he wasn't coaching, he was on the sideline watching with pride.

Russ is survived by his wife, Kay Russell; predeceased by his son Rusty, survived by Rusty's wife Lynn Russell, their children, Frank, Megan, John; his son Mark Russell, his wife Shannon and their children Rhett and Raven; and his brother, Vernon Russell.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday October 28th at Georges Creek Cemetery at 2633 County Road 308, Nemo, Texas 76070.

A celebration of life with be held at Russ and Kay's home from 4:30 to 6:30.