Obituary

Howard “Russ” Percival, of Lone Jack, Missouri, passed away on September 24, 2023, at the age of 75, after a short battle with esophageal cancer.

Russ was born in Marlow, Oklahoma, the oldest of the three children of Howard and Roselle Percival.  His days were filled with fishing, hunting, and working on the family ranch.

Russ attended the University of Central Oklahoma but left at age 19 to enlist in the army.  It was June 1967, the height of the Vietnam War.  Russ served in the 509^th radio research group, out of MAC-V headquarters, in the Special Operations Group.  He left the army in April 1971, at age 23.

Russ returned to college, this time at the University of Oklahoma.  Afterwards, he worked as a civilian employee for the Army in missile defense testing on Kwajalein, in the Marshall Islands.  Following that, he worked at Kerr McGee in New Mexico, ran a pet store in Oklahoma, and installed satellite dishes all over Texas.

But Russ found his calling at the Associated Press, his home for 25 years.  From installing satellite dishes, he moved on to setting up news communication systems.  He travelled to events around the world such as the Olympics, national political conventions, and NASA launches.

Russ knew how to tell a joke and was a great story-teller.  He loved to fish and took annual fishing trips with close friends to Lake Kikwissi in Canada, where more great tales were born.

Eventually, Russ transferred to New York City and helped lead the A.P.’s stocks department.  He was responsible for ensuring that the stock pages were sent out to member papers on time and accurately reported each stock.

It was during his time in New York that Russ met Rosemary McGonagle.  In 1994, they married and moved to Kansas City.  For almost 30 years, they made their home in Lone Jack, Missouri, and had two children, John (aka J.T.) and Catherine (aka Coco).

When Russ fully retired, he enjoyed painting, watching Oklahoma University football, traveling, and enjoying a good glass of wine.  Russ’ Native American background was a great source of pride for him, and he became a member of the Chickasaw Warriors Society and a registered Chickasaw artist.

Russ is survived by his wife, Rosemary, son, J.T., daughter, Coco, his sister, Rose Ann of Norman, Oklahoma, and his brother, Harold, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

A celebration of Russ’ life is planned for Friday, November 10, 2023, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at the Lake Shore Plaza Event Space, in Lake Lotawana, Missouri.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Disabled American Veterans (DAV).