Willard "Russ" Wright, 78, passed away on January 26, 2017, in Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. Russ was born on April 3, 1938, to Willard and Pauline (Piquard) Wright in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Murphysboro, graduated from Murphysboro High School, and completed a Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. from Southern Illinois University. Russ spent five years in the Navy as a Communication's Officer and was aboard the aircraft carrier, Ticonderoga in Vietnam. He spent his career on the faculty of SIU School of Medicine and the Department of Rehabilitation as a researcher, advisor, teacher, and coordinator of Clinical Medicine for the first year Medical Students. He retired in 2000 and was very active in the community. Russ was also very involved in his church, St. Peter's United Church of Christ in Murphysboro, and with Dirk's Fund Golden Retriever Rescue. He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved golden retriever, Max. Russ is survived by Linda Herrold, his sweetheart of seventeen years, Linda's daughter--Jen Hoskins and her fiancée Eric Herzog; and Linda's granddaughters Mackinzie Marcotte and Peyton Herzog; his uncle Bo Piquard, an aunt Doris (Piquard) Winget, many cousins, and Rose, Emma, Millie and Pete. A Celebration of Life is planned for Friday, February 3, 2017, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Event Center on Walnut Street in Murphysboro. Please join us in a toast to a man whose life touched so many. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Dirk's Fund Gold Retriever Rescue, 11312 Cragwold Road, St. Louis, MO 63122. For more information, please visit www.pettettfuneralhome.com.