Robert Joseph Russo

Captain Robert “Bob” Russo, beloved husband, father and grandfather died on August 18, 2025. He was 81.

Born in Jersey City, NJ, Bob was the son of Dominic and Adeline (Spinelli) Russo, one of six children.

He met his wife, Edwina, at a St. Patty’s Day party in 1965. They married the next year. Bob and Eddie were married for 59 years; she kept the home fires burning while he traveled the world. They had three children, Beth (Todd Weatherly), Susan (Robert Klein) and Steve (Stella Berg), and 5 grandchildren: Felix and Lucas, Evan and Julian, and Jacob. As grandpa, Bob loved taking his grandchildren to see manatees and alligators, and boating, snorkeling and exploring.

Bob was a consummate explorer, teacher, and champion for good. He joined the United States Coast Guard in 1965 and served for 22 years. He was a volunteer fire fighter in Virginia for many years and served as a Florida Guardian Ad Litem. He founded a nonprofit, Florida Youth Maritime Training, providing professional maritime training to help young adults in Jacksonville, FL break out of poverty. He taught more than 200 students.

He had a curious mind, and a deep intellect. Over his lifetime, he wrote grants, was a scuba diver, learned to sail, and spoke Spanish, Italian and Japanese, and traveled to more than 50 countries.

Bob was a force of life, and a force for good. He will be deeply missed by his family. A Celebration of Life at 1 PM on Sunday, September 28th at Shelter # 3 at Hannah Park, one of Bob’s favorite places. He will be buried at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity and Impact Fund held at the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida at https://www.jaxcf.org/memorial/