Posted October 2, 20231 yr 😢 Two killed in Lake Placid airplane crash identified | News, Sports, Jobs - Lake Placid News WWW.LAKEPLACIDNEWS.COM LAKE PLACID — The two people killed in an airplane crash at the Lake Placid Airport on Sunday have been identified as Russ...
October 2, 20231 yr Horrible news. Was just talking with some friends about him a few weeks ago. We were wondering what he was up to of late. Very sad.
October 2, 20231 yr RIP, Russ. Former HS teammate. I distinctly remember the sunny spring morning in 1971 when Russ launched a a javelin throw that set the national hs record. The article is wrong. Russ played football and wrestled in Hawaii, before transferring to Pleasant Hill High School, where he played basketball and ran track. 3 years at Oregon with the football team. Edited October 2, 20231 yr by woundedknees
October 2, 20231 yr Sad news. I remember meeting Russ in 1972 when I was 9 years old. Russ parachuted into my hometown of Gilchrist to meet up with my sister (also a duck), if I remember correctly they hung out for the day then my sis drove them back to Pleasant Hill/Eugene. Meeting Russ was a big deal for me as I was a huge track and field fan. I remember talking with Russ about throwing the javelin and thinking what a cool guy he was. RIP Russ. Edited October 2, 20231 yr by anyotherduck typo
October 2, 20231 yr Fond memories of big Russ. As Howard Cosell dubbed him, Russ Francis was "all world." RIP
October 2, 20231 yr On 10/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, woundedknees said: RIP, Russ. Former HS teammate. I distinctly remember the sunny spring morning in 1971 when Russ launched a a javelin throw that set the national hs record. The article is wrong. Russ played football and wrestled in Hawaii, before transferring to Pleasant Hill High School, where he played basketball and ran track. 3 years at Oregon with the football team. I batted against Russ pitching for PH in MidState Summer league. So, Baseball too. Edited October 2, 20231 yr by Notalot
October 2, 20231 yr Bummer. Life ends eventually for all of us but it's never good to hear when someone you love, or admire, or look-up to leaves this earth. Seems a lot of people I held in these 3 categories have passed this year.
October 2, 20231 yr The older I get the more this kind of thing rears its ugly head. RIP Mr. Francis. Complete Stud.
October 3, 20231 yr Francis set the national high school record for the javelin in 1970 while at Pleasant Hill High (Oregon). The record stood for 18 years until it was broken by 1 inch by Art Skipper from Sandy High (Oregon). Francis lost his life in a small plane accident. Skipper lost his life in 2001 near Sandy in a small plane accident. Sam Crouser, Gresham High (Oregon) set a new standard in 2010; but, by then the javelin had been redesigned so it wouldn't travel as far due to safety reasons at track meets.
October 3, 20231 yr Moderator This sucks. Russ was one of my all-time favorite Pats players. Rest In Peace.
October 3, 20231 yr How many of you remember his father on Portland Wrestling - Gentleman Ed Francis.
October 4, 20231 yr Dad flew with Russ back when they were both renting out of the old McKenzie Flying Service. Neither were slight of build. Apparently well loaded Cessna 150s have exciting stall characteristics. I remember Russ later showing up at Mahlon Sweet with his P-51 and thinking “Eugene kids can do things!”. Godspeed Russ, and thank you!
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