Hartland man killed in I-96 tornado had just finished remodeling dream home

HARTLAND TWP. — Robert and Claire Russell had recently finished remodeling their Livingston County home, replacing the roof, installing a new subfloor and adding new landscaping, when Rob lost his life in last week's tornado in Leroy Township.

"It was his dream home," Claire Russell said Friday. "He didn't get enough time to enjoy it."

Rob Russell, 41, a construction coordinator for Comcast, was driving to a work site in Holt when the EF-2 tornado swept through eastern Ingham County on the evening of Aug. 24 and literally carried his work pickup truck off westbound Interstate 96 and dropped it into a wooded area, Claire Russell said.

He was so far off the freeway that no one discovered him until around 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m. the next morning, many hours after the twister had blown over semitrucks and injured multiple people who were traveling on the freeway in the Williamston and Webberville areas, Claire said.

The Ingham County Sheriff's Office said one person was killed, one was critically injured and one was seriously injured on the freeway and initially described the person who died as a 40-year-old Grand Rapids man. On Friday, they released Russell's name and age to the State Journal and said he lived in Hartland.

Russell was driving to Holt to oversee contractors working on a planned overnight fiber optic cable job, Claire said. That type of job is done overnight so the work won't be as disruptive to customers, she said.

He was alone in his company truck when the tornado picked it up and apparently carried it off the freeway, she said. There were no other vehicles involved, she said.

"He was so far into the woods that there was no way he could have gotten there unless he was swept up by the funnel cloud," she said. "He should have never been out there. He should never have been on that road."

Claire and Rob had been married for nearly 10 years, said Claire, who described her husband as "loving," "caring," "selfless" and "very funny." He was an avid bowler, with seven perfect games under his belt, and he and Claire were big Detroit Tigers fans, once holding season tickets, she said.

The couple traveled to state and national bowling tournaments, making a weekend or "a little vacation out of it," she said.

"Our dream was to go to Australia, maybe for an anniversary trip," she said.

The couple adopted a cat, "Tiger," who is now around 18 years old, as best they could determine. Tiger is missing Rob, too, she said.

"She was his child," Claire said. "She's missing him pretty much every day. She's been hiding."

An online obituary described Rob as "a true friend whose kindness and generosity knew no bounds. He had a special knack for making friends and forging connections, leaving a lasting impact on everyone he encountered. His positive spirit, infectious smile, one of a kind sense of humor, and genuine care for others made him a true friend to so many."

Claire Russell said she doesn't understand why it took so long for Rob to be found.

"I'm reeling, I'm very upset," she said. "There were people who knew Rob was gone and not answering his telephone. I know there was destruction everywhere, but I just don't feel like people were looking for him. They weren't even supposed to start (the job) until midnight."

A funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at Borek-Jennings Howell Memorial Chapel, 1700 Highland Road in Howell. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. at the same location. Donations can be made in Russell's memory to Gift of Life Michigan (giftoflifemichigan.org) or the Michigan Humane Society (michiganhumane.org).

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Man killed in I-96 tornado Ingham County had just finished remodeling dream home