Russ Brant, 90, of High Springs, Fla. passed away at home on Friday, May 8, 2009. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 18, 1919, and spent most of his formative years on a small subsistence farm in the town of Mogadore, near Akron, Ohio. He loved roaming the glacial hills and swamps of the region, studying the plants and animals. He also learned much about truck farming, especially cultivation of celery. He graduated from the University of Akron in Biology, served 35 missions as a USAF tail gunner in B17's over Germany during WW II, married Rae Dewey (Botany graduate at UA) in 1945, earned a masters degree in Geology from the University of Michigan, and worked his entire career as a professional (environmentally oriented) geologist.

His growing family (eventually 4 children) moved from Ohio to Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Kentucky, where Russ served as chief state coal geologist in charge of coal resource mapping. He also became well versed in coal mine pollution abatement and served with the Lake Erie Section of the Ohio Geological Survey doing shoreline erosion studies and establishing the first formal (legal) definition for freshwater estuaries.

He and Rae finally moved to Florida in retirement to be near family in their final years. He was preceded in death by his cherished companion and wife of 58 years, Rae Dewey Brant. He is survived by his sisters, Glenda Brant (Ed) Wilson of Suffield, Ohio, and Anita Brant Baker of Kent, Ohio; his children, Lys (Dan) Burden of High Springs, Alan (Kay) Brant of Spencer, W.V., Duane (Pip) Brant of Hollywood, Fla., Dan Brant of High Springs; grandchildren, Terri Brannon of Atlanta, Ga., Michael Brant of High Springs, Jodi Burden (Scott) Chase of Gainesville, Fla., Juli Burden of Chattanooga, Tenn.; and great-grandson Jackson Chase of Gainesville.

A pictorial celebration of his life was held at the High Springs Public Library on his 90th birthday last March, after friends and family had spent the afternoon kayaking down the Ichetucknee Spring Run. Russ made the entire trip with both of his sisters, who are in their 70's. His recent claim to fame was being a regular diner and conversationalist at High Springs' My Little Café, earning the moniker, "the Hundred Year Old Man." A memorial gathering will be held in his home and in Ohio in August. At his request, his ashes will be sprinkled at various locations in northern Ohio, in Lake Erie and at Chautauqua Lake, N.Y.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Hospice of the Nature Coast, 201 N.E. 1st Avenue, High Springs, Fla., 32643-9414.