Russell W Tessling

On Tuesday, September 6th, Russell Walter Tessling of Beecher, Illinois passed away at age 79. Russell was the classic fisherman—never short on stories of previous adventures or plans for the next pursuit. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, and enjoyed doing whatever he could to create a laugh. Russell was born on January 24th, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois to parents Virginia & Frank Tessling. He grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago with his brothers Roger, John, and Frank. Over the years, Russell developed a love for electricity and power generation, which was exhibited by his many years of service working as a crew leader & lineman for Commonwealth Edison. He retired from ComEd in 1996, which led to many years of travelling the country with his late wife, Sharon (Miller) Tessling in their motorhome. Together, they roadtripped to most of the lower 48 states and visited many US National Parks. Russell is survived by his daughter Cheryl Meier (Larry), grandchildren Matthew, Angela, Joshua, and Daniel, daughter Tami Tessling, and grandson Brandon Petrovski. These individuals were Russell’s favorite audience for the latest rhyme he created, the newest joke he heard, or his favorite story to tell. He enjoyed meeting for breakfast to hear the latest adventures in everyone’s lives or to tell them about the last race he watched. Russell dreamed of writing a book that captured all of his life’s adventures, but these stories and his legacy will live on with each of the aforementioned individuals. Russell enjoyed fishing and travelling throughout his life, and he always knew when the next NASA rocket launch was occurring. He was the biggest jokester you’d ever meet, but he wasn’t afraid to be a straight-shooter and give you his true opinion. Russell was also always willing to tell you about his relationship with Jesus, his Lord & Savior. While he will be missed by those left behind, know that this separation is only temporary, and he is at peace in his Heavenly Home.