Russell McCoy

RUSSELL RAY McCOY, 64, of Fort Morgan, CO and formerly of Effingham, IL passed away at 5:26 p.m. Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at Colorado Plains Medical Center in Fort Morgan, CO.

Russell was born on February 5, 1943 in Effingham, IL. He was the son of Howard Russell and Virginia (Campton) McCoy. He married Marilyn Kearns on May 25, 1963 in Arcola, IL.

Survivors include his wife, Marilyn McCoy of Fort Morgan, CO; his mother-in-law, Geneva Kearns of Tuscola, IL; two sister-in-laws, Carolyn Kleiss of Tuscola, Il and Mary Thompson and her husband, Jack, of Camargo, IL;; several nieces and nephews, Michelle Owen and her husband, Bart, of Mattoon, IL, Robert Kleiss and his fiancé, Heather, of Tuscola, IL, David Kleiss and his wife, Misty, also of Tuscola, IL, Jeane Breiland and her husband, Jens, of Arden Hills, MN and Jamie Thompson and Marc Thompson both of Camargo, IL.

His parents, his father-in-law, Merle Kearns and one brother-in-law, Barry Kleiss preceded him in death.

Russell graduated from Effingham High School in 1962. Following graduation, he served as a Lance Corporal in the U.S. Marine Corps serving active duty in Vietnam and receiving a Purple Heart. Russell graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelor's Degree in History in 1971. He then taught Government Classes at Mt. Zion High School from 1971 to 1977. Russell then began to work for the Colorado Education Association, retiring from there in 2002.

Russell enjoyed listening to music and going to concerts in Denver. He also had an extensive CD collection and had done some disc jockeying. He was an avid sports fan, following the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies. Russell also enjoyed working on his lawn and planting flowers. He loved to travel and especially looked forward to the annual trips to Maui, Hawaii that he and his wife, Marilyn, took for the past several years.