Russell N. Brett

HOLDEN - Russell N. Brett, 80, of Holden, passed away on Saturday, March 5, 2011, at Rose Monahan Hospice Home, with his family by his side.

He leaves his wife of 50 years, Gayle (McDonnell) Brett; two daughters, Jennifer Brett and her husband, Ben Lubetsky, of Belmont, Mass., and Sara Carey and her husband, Michael, of Norfolk, Mass.; and four grandchildren, Abigail and Olivia Carey, and Aaron and Jacob Lubetsky. He is also survived by his sister, Karol Cline, of Pittsburgh, Penn.; his sister, Mary Ann Mathurin, of Fort Mohave, Ariz.; many nephews and nieces; and many good friends. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Kenneth and Thelma (Russell) Brest, and a sister, Joy Lee Boyd.

Born in New Castle, Penn., in 1930, Russell spent his early years in the greater Pittsburgh area. After graduating from high school, Russ joined the U.S. Air Force and was trained as a photographer. He served six years and moved to Worcester, where he joined the photography staff at Marvin Richmond Studios.

In 1967, he partnered with colleague Dan Duffy to form Dan Duffy Associates, a commercial photography studio. He was designated a Master of Photography in 1983 and a Photographic Craftsman in 1985 by the Professional Photographers Association of America. He retired in 2000.

Throughout his career, Russ was recognized not only for achievements in the studio but also for his dedication to the profession. He was a frequent guest lecturer at local and regional industry conventions on topics such as small product photography and played a leadership role in key industry groups. He was president of the Worcester County Professional Photographers Association for two terms and served as president of the Professional Photographers Association of Massachusetts (PPAM) in 1974. He was also an active member of the Professional Photographers Association of New England (PPANE), the Professional Photographers of America, and the Commercial/Industrial Photographers of New England (CIPNE). He was treasurer of CIPNE for 7 years. He is one of the few photographers to receive the National Award from the Professional Photographers Association of America on three separate occasions. He received this prestigious award in 1970 for his years of service to PPAM, in 1985 for his work with PPANE, and again in 1999 for his service to CIPNE.

Russ was a resident of Holden for the past 46 years. A dedicated husband, father and grandfather, Russ avidly pursued many interests outside of photography, including gardening, restoring antique furniture, genealogy and jazz.

Russ' family wishes to thank the nurses, aides and volunteers at the Rose Monahan Hospice Home for the wonderful care they provided during his illness.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours at 10:30 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 12 noon on Wednesday, March 9, in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden. Burial will be private and held at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to the Rose Monahan Hospice Home in care of VNA Care Network & Hospice, 120 Thomas Street, Worcester, MA 01608 or to the Gale Free Library, 23 Highland Street, Holden, MA 01520.

Website & Guest book: www.milesfuneralhome.com