John "Rucks" Russell, former KHOU 11 reporter, has died at the age of 55.
Former KHOU 11 reporter Doug Miller received the news from Russell's wife this afternoon.
On his personal Facebook profile, Miller posted a nice tribute for Russell and gave me permission to re-post it here on my blog:
"Heartbreaking news about a fine former Houston television reporter. Rucks Russell has died. His wife says he died of COVID, which he contracted while caring for his brother who had also contracted the virus.
Here's the kind of man Rucks was: His real name was John, but he decided to adopt his mother's maiden name as his air name. So every time his mother saw that handsome face on television, she heard her son honoring her by saying her name.
He was a conspicuously decent man and a exemplar of rectitude, and he has left this world much too soon."
Russell worked at KHOU 11 from 2006 to 2017.
He left the station to work as the Communications Director for U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in Washington DC.
His Twitter bio says he then became the Senior Media and Communications Specialist HHS Office of Minority Health.
According to his LinkedIn profile, he last worked as Chief of Staff/Communications Director for Houston City Council.
Prior to KHOU, Russell worked for WNCN Raleigh, WRIC Central Virginia as well as stops in Washington, Orlando and Roanoke, Va.
He graduated from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ and studied abroad in Besancon, France.
* post updated with Ruck Russell's age
