Mary Frances Russell celebrated her 100th birthday July 11 at Woodside Place of Oakmont.
Born in Alabama, Russell grew up in West Virginia and moved to Pittsburgh after graduating from high school in 1941.
She and her husband, James , raised two daughters and a son.
Russell graduated from business college in Pittsburgh in the early 1950s and received a degree in theology from Rodman Street Theological Seminary in the 1990s. Her national and international missionary work took her to Israel and Palestine in 1996.
She lived in Pittsburgh’s Chartiers City neighborhood from 1970 to 2012, where she served as an elections judge. Russell worked for the Allegheny County Sanitation Authority for 30 years, retiring in 1989. She was also a tax consultant.
Pittsburgh City Council declared July 11, 2024 as “Mary Frances Russell Day” in recognition of her life, service and accomplishments.
Woodside Place of Oakmont serves nearly 40 residents. When it opened in 1991, it was one of the first residential personal care communities in the U.S. designed to meet the physical, social and psychological needs of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
In addition, Woodside Place offers full- and half-day adult day services that provide the opportunity to be social and to participate in activities in a safe environment, while also providing a crucial rest for caregivers.