Carl Russell Kuney (Russ) was born on May 27, 1926 in Missoula, Montana to Eltia and William Kuney. He passed away peacefully at his home in Colleyville, Texas on December 6, 2018 surrounded by family.
Russ was the youngest of six children. He grew up on a ranch in the Lolo Valley, just outside Missoula, during the Great Depression and went to school in a one-room schoolhouse. After he graduated from high school, he went straight into the United States Navy. It was 1944 and Russ was only 17 years old. He served in the Pacific Theatre in World War II. After the war, he returned to Missoula. Russ was a very good dancer and met Hazel Poe, his wife of 58 years, through a dance club named Livewires. Russ and Hazel spent many nights dancing although on more than one occasion Hazel would lose Russ for a couple of hours because so many other women wanted to dance with him!
Russ and Hazel married in 1960. Russ worked full time, went to college, and he and Hazel built a house together from the ground up---all at the same time. He graduated from the University of Montana in 1964 with a degree in Finance. Russ was the Finance Director for the State of Montana, and later for the cities of Walnut Creek, California and Piedmont, California. He retired in 1992.
In 2003, Russ and Hazel moved to Colleyville, Texas to be closer to their family. Russ loved music, westerns, science fiction, National Geographic and was a daily cover-to-cover reader of the Fort Worth Star Telegram. Any baby placed in his arms went immediately to sleep, secure in his strong yet gentle grip. Animals trusted him and his family loved him as deeply as he loved them. He will be missed by any who knew him.
Russ is survived by his wife, Hazel Kuney, daughter, Lynne Rhodes, son-in-law Philip Rhodes, grandchildren, Nicolas Rhodes and Brenna Rhodes as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
The service to celebrate Russ’s life is on Friday, December 14, 2018 1pm at the First United Methodist Church of Hurst, Texas, where he was a member for 15 years.
In Lieu of flowers, please make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Hurst, Texas and/or to Community Hospice of Fort Worth, Texas.