Russell Leroy Brandenburg
August 8, 1941 ~ December 8, 2020 (age 79) Russell Leroy Brandenburg, of Harrison, passed away on December 8, 2020 at the age of 79. He was born on August 8, 1941 in Beech Grove, Indiana to the late Donald and Hildreth (nee Sitter) Brandenburg. He met Debra L. Senefeld and they were married on June 24, 1988. Russ accomplished so much in his 79 years. This year would have been his 44th year to work as a “yellow shirt” or safety patrol for the Indy 500. It also would have been the 68th year in attendance. Russ was a USAC Mechanic and the only American mechanic to work for Jimmy Clark on Team Lotus when he won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965. Russ was a proud Graduate and Alumni of Purdue University 1973, achieving Bachelor’s Degrees in Graphic and Industrial Design. This fit him perfectly because he loved drawing. He created Unique car drawings and had them autographed by drivers such as Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt Jr., & Carroll Shelby. Russ also enjoyed running: He ran the Columbus Marathon at age 50, Flying Pig Half-Marathon age 70 after beating Lung CA with partial lung removal and numerous Thanksgiving Day 10K races, Riverfest Runs and Cincinnati Mini Heart Marathons. Russ was a big kid at heart too. He enjoyed coloring, the color blue, playing with the kids, and their toys... like LEGOS and collecting Hot Wheels. He was great at making “Russ Jokes”, making new friends, always making time for others, and spreading cheer wherever he went. He was the Founder/creator/member since 1993 of the V8- Registry for Corvair enthusiasts, member of CORSA Corvair Society of America, member of the Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers. You could say Russ enjoyed cars, however, it was just a portion of who he was. He was also a wonderful and supporting husband to Debra (nee Senefeld) Brandenburg. The family will be having formal celebration of life will be planned in the spring, around the time of the Indianapolis 500 Speedway races. I'm sad to report that Russ Brandenburg left this world last night. He was in the capable hands of his daughter Cynthia who has been a Hospus Nurse for many years in CA. She has been with Russ and her mother Deb for the past month taking care of both of them. Deb is still recovering at home from an infection associated with a joint replacement.
Stay Safe John Lanning, President - V8 Registry Russ Brandenburg, the Founder, and Past-President of the V-8 Registry, has experienced some setbacks with his health. Archibald Evans, a long time friend of Russ, called several days ago to indicate that Russ had several small heart attacks recently. Russ is in an ICU unit at his local hospital and is on a respirator. His condition is STABLE but serious.
Your thoughts and prayers are requested for his safe return to good health. At this time you should avoid trying to call him or his wife if you happen to have either phone number. The reason I say this is because Russ's wife is also in another hospital recovering from an infection associated with a joint replacement. Further reports will be posted as new information becomes available. John Lanning https://www.v8registry.com/russ-brandenburg.html |
AuthorI'm Rick Andersen. I've been a member of the V8 Registry for about 20 years. I am the proud owner of a '65 Crown Corsa convertible . Archives
May 2022
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