Edward E. Russell, retired Philadelphia judge, longtime parliamentarian, and adjunct professor, has died at 91

Edward E. Russell, 91, of Philadelphia, retired judge in Philadelphia’s Family Court and Court of Common Pleas, longtime parliamentarian, lawyer, and former adjunct professor at Temple University, died Saturday, Sept. 16, of a stroke at Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Camden.

Judge Russell ascended to the bench in 1988 and heard thousands of cases in Philadelphia Family Court and the Court of Common Pleas until his retirement in 2010. He ruled often on dependency issues in Family Court that involved abused and neglected children, and he told his family that he was most proud that his often gut-wrenching decisions were never reversed upon final appeal.

“He was concerned about people and worried about children,” said Judge Russell’s son, Robert. “And he was diligent about applying the law.”

Judge Russell was organized and methodical, and he served for two decades as parliamentarian for the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, and the Board of Judges of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Minor Court Civil Procedure Rules Committee, and onetime executive secretary and board member of the Committee of Seventy.

An expert auditor who was adept at efficiency in government operations, he was named city controller by Pennsylvania Gov. Raymond P. Shafer in 1967 and worked after that as a government specialist for international auditor Price Waterhouse, now PwC. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1958 and rose to senior law partner at Gilfillan, Gilpin, and Brehman in the 1970s and ‘80s.

He was involved with the Republican Party and served for a time as a special state assistant attorney general. He joined several legal societies and social organizations, and was past president of the James Wilson Law Club and the Hospital Attorneys of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

He taught speech and rhetoric at Temple in the 1970s and ‘80s, published articles about legal matters, and analyzed local elections on radio shows before he became a judge. He honed his singing skills in the choir at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and went on to perform in musicals and other productions with the Temple University Center City Chorus, Academy Chorale, Wissahickon Woods Opera Theater, and other groups.

Edward Elmer Russell was born in 1932 in Kingston, Pa., across the Susquehanna River from Wilkes-Barre, and he grew up fishing in the river and hunting in the nearby wilds of Northeast Pennsylvania. He graduated from Kingston High School and moved to Philadelphia afterward to attend Temple.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1954, a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1957, and a master’s degree in rhetoric at Temple in 1962. He also served as chairman of the board of trustees at Moore College of Art and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters in 1982.

He encountered Ruth Rummler, an editor and reporter for the Temple News, and they married in 1955. “We met when she interviewed me over lunch one day,” Judge Russell told the Chestnut Hill Local in 2021. “I was impressed with her.”

The couple lived in Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill, and had sons Edward Jr. and Robert, and daughters Ann and Mary. His wife and son Edward Jr. died earlier.

Active throughout his life, Judge Russell earned a black belt in Taekwondo. He was a member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, and the Racquet Club of Philadelphia.

His other interests were eclectic, and he belonged to the Pennsylvania Society, Chestnut Hill Historical Society, Science and Art Club of Germantown, and Souderton-Harleysville Game, Fish, and Forestry Association.

“He always told us to do our best,” his son said. “He never told us what to do with our lives. He said try to find something meaningful.”

In addition to his children, Judge Russell is survived by four grandchildren, one great-grandson, and other relatives.

A service is to be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19118.

Donations in his name may be made to the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Philadelphia, Pa. 19118.