Russell Brasher
FORT SMITH - Russell G. Brasher, 84, died February 22, 2024, in Fort Smith where he had been a resident for more than thirty-five years.
Mr. Brasher was born April 22, 1939, in El Dorado, Arkansas, to parents Jewell and Evie Brasher, deceased. His brothers, Donald and Alan, have also passed away.
He is survived by his wife Molly with whom he recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, by daughter Amy of the home and by son Jonathan and his wife Melanie, with grandson Ezekiel and granddaughter Adeline, all of Rhode Island.
Mr. Brasher was a member of Faith United Methodist Church in Fort Smith.
He attended schools at Parkers Chapel and in El Dorado, and graduated from Hendrix College in Conway in 1963. He went on to pursue graduate studies in mathematics at the University of Arkansas and earned a Ph.D. in 1968.
He spent most of the 1970s as a professor of mathematics at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. After a post-doctoral study in statistics at the University of Missouri, he returned to Arkansas. For much of the ensuing years until retirement in 2006 he was the CEO of the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, a medical quality organization.
He loved travel and photography, and after trips to Italy, Greece, Russia and China produced a photograph book entitled “Four Countries”. He also produced photograph and text booklets recounting trips along the Tamale Trail in the Mississippi delta, to southeast England and Wales, and to the American Southwest. His love and study of Ancient Greek led to the book “Iliad Book 1: An Interlinear Translation”. Most recently he produced a book of poetry, “Selected Poems by Russell G. Brasher.”
Public viewing will be from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Friday, March 1 at Edwards Funeral Home in Fort Smith.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, March 2nd at 1 pm at Faith United Methodist Church in Fort Smith, with the Reverend Donna Ward officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home. Burial will be at Oak Cemetery.
To view the online guestbook, please go to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com