Obituaries

Russell Lewis Lamb passed away peacefully on October 12, 2023, at his home in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, surrounded by his children after a courageous battle with cancer.

Russ is survived by his five children: Madeline Lamb (Lyle), Elizabeth Lamb (Ian), Aaron Lamb (Amber), Nathan Lamb (Kristi), and Vanessa Lamb, and his two grandchildren, Willow and Magnolia Lamb.

Born on July 23, 1951, he was raised in Louisville, Kentucky, and Madison, Wisconsin, by his mother, Giovanna “Joan Marie” Lamb (nee Campisano) and father Kenneth Lamb. Russ, or “Rusty” in his formative years, loved playing guitar and biking around town with his friends. After graduating from James Madison Memorial High School, he attended the University of Wisconsin (where we imagine he picked up his first red hat) and then quickly moved down to balmy Florida to further pursue his studies in accounting. In 1980, Russ married Beth Roberts and they had five wonderful children together (all named above).

While in Florida, Russ graduated from Nova University with a Bachelors of Science. He worked in accounting and insurance at a number of firms over the years, as well as for the State of Wisconsin and the U.S. Federal Government. He was passionate about his work, so much so that he would regale people with exciting stories of all things insurance should they dare to ask. Russ also served in the Army National Guard for 26 years across several states and retired as a Sergeant First Class in 2011.

It is also imperative to note, Russ never met a lamb he didn’t like. Stuffed, carved, hand or machine made, he would bring them home and distribute them among his children, his broader family, his friends, and their children. He was like this with other small gifts too. Those who know and love him know his passion for sharing small tokens of his international adventures. It was part of who he was: a “recovering” hoarder (his own words) and a generous man who loved to laugh and joke, someone who was excited to share his passions through gifts.

In his later years, living what he described as a ‘walk on the beach,’ he retired and relocated to New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He continued to travel internationally for work with the Office of Technical Assistance and for holidays with his close friends.

A private family ceremony will be held at Sunset Memory Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin, where Russ will be buried alongside his mother and father.

The family would like to thank the many friends and colleagues who have reached out to share memories and celebrate Russ’s life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the New Smyrna Beach Turtle Trackers, an organization that works to protect sea turtles along the stretch of beach that Russ would walk every morning. https://nsbturtletrackers.org/support/