20 Oct 1911 – 16 Oct 2000
Husband of Margaret Ethelyn Cardon
President John M. Russon died Monday, October 16, 2000, at home peacefully in his sleep of natural causes with his family and loved ones at his bedside.
Born October 20, 1911, Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of John Russon and Amanda Elizabeth Thompson.
Graduated Holly-wood High School, Los Angeles, California in 1929 and attended University of Utah School of Law. He interrupted his schooling to serve a mission in Swit-zerland and Germany for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1931-1933.
John M. Russon, C.L.U., was a California resident from 1927 to 1978. He was engaged in the life insurance business for all of his business life which spanned 35 years.
He was designated Massachusetts Mutual’s Man of the Year nationwide in 1960 and received comparable industry recognition in 1964 when the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce chose him for the Will G. Farrell Award.
Long active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he has served as Bishop of the Hollywood Ward, President of the Los Angeles Stake, President of the Swiss Mission headquartered in Zurich. Upon his return to the U.S. he was called to be a member of the General Welfare Committee and subsequently served as a Regional Representative of the Quorum of the Twelve of Apostles for the Los Angeles, California and El Paso, Texas Regions.
In 1979-1980, he served as a member of the Temple Presidency, Patriarch and Acting Mission President once again in Switzerland. In 1981-1986 served as the St. George Temple President. In 1986 to 1988 he served as the Director of Church Visitor Sites in Palmyra, New York and from 1989 to 1990 he served a temple mission in Frankfurt, Germany.
His community service included the Boy Scouts of America. He received the coveted “For God and Country,” Silver Beaver and Silver Antelope Awards. He served as the President of the Los Angeles Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America, and served on the Board of Ettie Lee Homes, Inc.
John always felt a great need to give back to the community. In St. George, Utah, he organized the Dixie State College Scholarship Association (formerly “The Grandparents’ Club”); and served on the Dixie State College Advisory Council. In his 80’s he adopted three miles of Dixie Drive by daily clearing the roadside of any litter.
He is survived by his loving wife Ethelyn “Lynn” Cardon Tanner, (affectionately known to her family as “Nani”); children: Ann (Ted) Everett, Marcia (Rick) Everett, Mary Ellen Barton, John Henry, Stephen Paul, Ronald Tanner, Karma Lynn Stockstill and Michael Tanner; 43 grandchildren and 37 great-grand-children. He was preceded in death by his beloved first wife, Mary Virginia Anderson, sons Jon Kimball, David Stanley, James Ray, Kevin Anderson, daughter Jane Elizabeth and sister Alta (Bruce) Ellis.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, October 21, 2000 at 11 a.m. at the St. George LDS East Stake Center, 449 South 300 East, St. George, Utah. Visitations will be Friday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Metcalf Mortuary, 300 West St. George Blvd. and on Saturday morning from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the East Stake Center prior to services.
Interment will follow services in the St. George City Cemetery under the direction of the Metcalf Mortuary, 673-4221.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Dixie State College Scholarship Association or the Foundation of Dixie
Regional Medical Center Hospice Program.
-Published online at https://www.familysearch.org/en/memories/memory/23212673
Saint George City Cemetery, Saint George, Washington County, Utah
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