Russell R. Madison

Russell R. Madison (86) passed away Friday, May 25, 2018, leaving behind his beloved wife of 38 years, Lyn Madison and a multitude of family, friends, and colleagues. He will be remembered for many things like the love he had for his family and friends, an extensive plant knowledge and an overwhelming willingness to share with anyone in need. Always quick to make friends (who usually got put to work if they hung around too long), he was quickly recognized in his overalls full of tools, his Proper Plants hat and his arms spread to give hugs. The youngest of nine children, Russ was born on April 22, 1932, in South Sioux City, Nebraska to Peter and Olga Madison. Raised on the family farm, Russ developed a passion for growing things at an early age, which would end up guiding him for the rest of his life. After finishing a degree in Horticulture at Iowa State University in 1954, Russ was stationed in Korea for two years before beginning a 32-year career at the Veterans Affairs as a horticulture therapist. In 1977 with retirement on the horizon, Russ and Lyn started their small farm and greenhouse business, Proper Plants, which they ran for 38 years. Throughout his life, Russ’s love for his plants was second only to the love he had for his family and friends, and there was never a question about how much joy he got from the time and memories he made with them. He was actively involved in his children’s and grandchildren’s extra-curricular activities, from sports to PTA to Scouts and beyond, and always loved bragging about them to anyone who would listen. Russ loved a good adventure, and with a large family spread across the country, those adventures often revolved around visiting children, siblings, nephews and nieces. When he did manage to get away from the greenhouses, he loved live music, camping, sailing, and traveling (as long as he had a chance to gather a few seeds or cuttings from new places). He was a member of South Elkhorn Christian Church, enjoyed playing saxophone in the New Horizons Band and was an ardent supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. Russ was an Honorary Master Gardener and an early board member of the Lexington Farmers’ Market, serving as a landmark on Saturday mornings for 32 years. He is survived by his wife, Lyn, sister Carol, children, Mike Madison (Lynn), Alan Madison (Dorothea), Kathy Garcia (Frank), Greg Madison (Tracy), David Madison (Sarah), Emily Monk (Jason), grandchildren, Kevin Madison (Ashley), Kristina Webb (Jimmy), Sarah Madison, Frank Garcia Jr., Jenna Garcia, Hillary Roser, Bryant Madison, Nash Madison, Mamie Madison, Edith Monk and Charlie Monk, and greatgrandchildren, Malachi Floyd, Anyiah Floyd, Hudson Webb, Micah Madison, and Hannah Madison, and a long list of nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his sisters Virginia Hogeboom, Doris Van Dyke, and Fern Sund, and his brothers Ray, Roy, Wilbur, and Howard. The Madison family would like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Barry Schumer, Dr. Scott Pierce and their staff members for their care, support, and guidance throughout his battle with multiple myeloma. A visitation will be held on Sunday, June 3rd, at 2 p.m. at South Elkhorn Christian Church, 4343 Harrodsburg Rd., Lexington, KY, 40513, and the memorial service will follow beginning at 5 p.m. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation https://themmrf.org/donate or The University of Kentucky Arboretum https://arboretum.ca.uky.edu/donate.