Celebrating the life of Russell R. "Russ" Strandberg
Be the first to share your favorite memory, photo or story of
Russell.
This memorial page is dedicated for family, friends and future generations to celebrate
the life of their loved one.
We ask on behalf of the family that you keep your comments uplifting and appropriate
to help all who come here to find comfort and healing.
Obituary for Russell R. "Russ" Strandberg
“A peaceful experience.”
Those three words were used to describe what it was like getting to know Russell Raymond Strandberg, but they also define his entire life, including the way he left this world surrounded by his family.
A gentle man who did more listening than talking, Russ was born on March 29, 1936 in Conrad, MT, the first of Ray and Evelyn Strandberg’s two boys. On the flat oil fields where their father worked underneath the vaulted Montana sky, Russ and his brother Keith attended a single-room schoolhouse, and filled their days with different adventures or various sports.
Russ would go on to graduate from Montana State in Bozeman, and accepted a civilian job in the summer of 1958 at Norton Air Force Base in San Bernardino, CA. Nine months into that position, Russ was hired by United Airlines. That proved to be a wise decision for both him and the company. Thirty-seven years later he retired from the airline after making lifelong friends and lifelong memories, as the travel benefits were one of the favorite perks offered by United. Over the next 50 years, Russ and his family saw much of the country, visited different parts of the world, and revisited Montana countless times.
While Russ was beginning his career at United in 1959, he married Connie McCafferty, a native of Belt, MT. They started their lives together in Denver, CO, and started their family in 1961 with the birth of their son Todd. A job transfer soon took them to Palatine, IL, which is where sons No. 2 and 3 would be born – Neil in 1965 and Glen in 1967.
Looking back, it turns out Russ and Connie had a knack for finding wonderful homes surrounded by unforgettable neighbors, with kids in practically every household. Palatine’s block parties, Fourth of July parades and impressive imitation of the 1972 Olympic Games were replaced by pool parties, marching band competitions, sporting events and neighborhood night games when a second transfer brought the Strandbergs back to Colorado.
It was in the same home that Russ and Connie purchased in Littleton in 1974 where Russ quietly passed away on October 31, 2016. Always the listener, Russ was unable to speak during his final days, but close friends and family visited and said goodbye to an impossibly kind husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. And you knew he could hear everyone because he never lost his ability to smile.
Survived by his wife of 57 years, Connie; three sons Todd, Neil (Suzanne) and Glen (Julia); four grandchildren (Heather, Michelle, Elin and Wilhelm); one great grandchild (Oliver); and brother Keith Strandberg, Russ will be missed every day. Especially during quiet moments on a hike, or when you laugh so hard it makes tears stream down your face.
You are welcome to make a donation to First Presbyterian Church of Littleton or a charity of your choice.
