RUSSELL HAND Obituary

HAND
It is with profound sadness that the family announces the passing of Russell Steven Hand on November 22, 2023, at the age of 75 years. Although accidental, he left this world in a place he loved best, working from his yard and garage at the family home in Rosslyn, Ontario.

"Russ" was born on December 21, 1947 in Port Arthur, Ontario, growing up on the family farm on Black Sturgeon Road a short distance from Hurkett, with his siblings Vera, Garnet, and Connie. Although older, his step-siblings Clarence, Richard, Gerald, and Gertrude Frost were always a big part of his life.

At the tender age of 24 Russ met the love of his life Ivy. Three short years later they were united in partnership along with Ivy's four young girls. This began a journey that spanned more than 49 years of many wonderful shared experiences and adventures filled with much love and happiness. Russ experienced a void in his life that is greater than imaginable following Ivy's passing in June of 2020.

Russ loved his ready-made family and over the years was not just a Dad or Pops to Juanitta (Harold) Elliott, Pauline (late Rainer) Hovinmaki, Kadie (Dave) Chadwick, and Audrey (Doug) Pringle, but became a Poppa to grandchildren Michael, then Martti, Leah, Matti and Little Ivy, and then the grand finale, a great grandson Rory and his stepbrother Raiden. He was also very fond of the girl's lifelong friend Gerry Dark, who was like another daughter.

Russ was a lifelong trucker at heart. In his early years he started his career cutting pulpwood and progressed to working on a Dairy Farm in Dorion before moving on as a helper in a Commercial Fishing Operation, which took him on a short stint to Savant Lake. Moving on to bigger things he operated various pieces of equipment before taking on the dump trucks and big rigs. He was the proud owner of a French Canadian Sicard dump truck, which didn't compare when he moved on to the logging trucks, owning a Kenworth, a Western Star, a Peterbilt, and many other makes and models that kept his logging truck business and driving for others in operation for many years. Later in life his little wife Ivy joined him in one of their passions of starting the Trans Canada Flea Market, which ran from 1993 to 2004. On the closing of the market they continued holding many yard sales and in recent years as he began to down-size he racked up a small fortune taking advantage of Kijiji, and spent many hours with his sister Connie, brother Garnet, and as he says "hard-working" niece Glenda, who were instrumental in helping him accomplish the task at hand.

Russ was a big burly trucker in his day, and although ongoing heart trouble and off-and-on flareups of Rheumatoid Arthritis impacted his strength and endurance leading up to and following his retirement, he loved his work and those he interacted with so much so that he didn't let his condition stop him as he persevered with his personal business activities, starting R&I 4-Season Parking, and moving ahead with building his pride and joy, a long awaited industrial garage. Constant puttering in the back 40, always looking ahead to further expand his yard business, and helping out family and friends kept him busy to fill the void that was always there. But when he welcomed a young tenant in the big garage who he could see coming and going with his big rig, hearing the rev of the snow machines when the buddies would come visit, and at times watching or partaking in the beehive of activity that was taking place in the yard, you knew he was happy. His tenants, Brad and Kurt, gave him a comfort level in large part because of their friendship and he was so proud to have these young men on his property so they could all watch over each other and contribute to his well-being.

Although Russ retired in 2012 with plans to do a lot of fishing and camping, especially at Graham, where he and Ivy spent many memorable trips, life had it's own plans and with the loss of his fishing buddy and bad health he chose to be happy and content with visits to his daughters property on Mary Lake, and grateful for the opportunity to go salmon fishing in B.C. with his niece Laura (Don) Baily, and this past summer to go fishing on Lake Nipigon with his best friends son, Ryan. His last wish was to go back to Graham one last time, but we suspect he is already planning that trip with mom as we prepare to celebrate his life.

Russ will forever be loved and remembered by his family, many in-laws in Newfoundland, numerous nephews and nieces, and an abundance of friends and acquaintances in Oliver Paipoonge who were fortunate to share in his life.

Russ was predeceased by his parents George and Emily Hand of Black Sturgeon, siblings Jimmy, Sam, Clarence and Richard Hand, and Gertrude Frost of Thunder Bay, brothers-in-laws Gary Bartlett (Connie) of Dorion, and Lewis Rowe of Cambridge, sisters-in-laws Gwen (Garnet) Hand of Thunder Bay, and Stella (Gerald) Hand of Alberta, his special niece Janet Krivak from B.C., his mother-in-law Lillian Rowe of Newfoundland, and sons-in-laws Larry Kelly and Rainer Hovinmaki of Thunder Bay. He also lost many dear friends and trucking buddies over the years whose memories were kept alive through his many stories.

Russ has been cremated and as per his express wish the family will be holding a Celebration of Life service at Harbourview Funeral Centre at 499 Cumberland Street on Saturday, December 16, 2023 from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m. A private interment with family will take place at Sunset Memorial Gardens at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Charity of Your Choice in memory of Russ would be very much appreciated.

Condolences may be made through www.nwfainc.com