To all;-
    Russ Jenson was the man we would all like to be. He was knowledgeable,
patient, friendly, and eager to share his abilities. He would answer the
technical questions of a collegue. He would patiently answer questions from a
novice.
    To have lost both Russ and Tucker in the same decade takes a real lop off
the top of our studies. We grieve humbly---and hope some parts of heaven are
filled with beaches.
        Art

Alan Gettleman wrote:

> Dear Shelling Friends,
> I was very sorry to have just heard of Russ Jensen's passing when Gertrude
> Moller of Jacksonville told me that sad news at our Astronaut Trail Shell
> Show this past weekend.  Although I rarely ran into Russ, I was always very
> impressed by his smile (wry, almost impish), his friendliness and knowledge
> of shells.  When I lived in the St. Louis area, I first met Russ when he
> judged our St. Louis Shell Club show in 1974.  When Bill Clench at the last
> minute could not judge our show because of a cataract operation, Russ
> quickly agreed to fill in, and we enjoyed him so much we had him back as
> judge.  I enjoyed showing Russ and Dotty the Missouri Botanical Garden, our
> premier research botanical institution in St. Louis, which they enjoyed and
> where they talked about their nursery business.  Russ always was so happy to
> talk about being with the Delaware Museum, where he said he was able to play
> with shells every day.  He said that with such boyish enthusiasm that you
> knew he was very happy to be associated with the Museum.  At one program
> where he was showing slides of a collecting trip in the south Pacific where
> he was alone on a vast expanse of shallow coral reef, he said he felt so at
> home that he collected that day "as God had intended" sans bathing attire.
> When I saw him last at the Jacksonville COA, I started to reintroduce myself
> as it had been several years since we talked, and he immediately remembered
> me.  Shell enthusiasts are a wonderful group, and those such as Russ were
> great ambassadors.  We mourn his passing.
>
> Alan Gettleman
> Merritt Island, Florida
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pearce, Timothy" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 11:15 PM
> Subject: Russell H. Jensen passed away
>
> > Many of us have laughed at Russ Jensen's jokes, and enjoyed his pleasant
> > nature. I send you this message from his daughter Gail Jensen.
> >
> >
> > Russell H. Jensen, passed away on December 29, 2001, in Phoenix AZ after a
> > month long illness.  He had recently moved to Phoenix, AZ from Chadds
> Ford,
> > PA to be near family.
> >
> > Russ played many roles during his 30 years of service with the Delaware
> > Museum of Natural History, most recently as Mollusk Department Head
> Emeritus
> > and volunteer. His life-long work, "Marine Mollusks of Bermuda: Checklist
> > and Bibliography", is currently awaiting publication as DMNH Monograph
> > Series No. 5.  As a United States Army Staff Sergeant, he became
> interested
> > in shells while stationed in Bermuda during WWII.  After the war, he
> > traveled the Caribbean and South Pacific collecting shells and judging
> shell
> > shows across the country.
> >
> > Russ was known for his rampant enthusiasm, boundless energy, enchanting
> > sense of humor and the ability to come up with a joke, pun or limerick for
> > every occasion.  He joyfully collected everything: knowledge, books,
> natural
> > history specimens, recipes, e-mail jokes and friends. He had a sizable
> > collection of dolphin figurines and planned to "come back" and swim the
> > oceans as one.  A self-proclaimed "sociable introvert," he loved people
> and
> > being with his friends to enjoy a good meal and conversation.  He worked
> in
> > his vegetable and lily gardens, loved to cook, studied Mayan civilization,
> > performed wonders in his basement woodworking, made silver jewelry, cut
> > semi-precious gemstones and dreamed of, designed and invented many useful
> > "gadgets."  He was a true Renaissance Man.
> >
> > Russ owned a florist/nursery business from 1950 until 1970 in Bloomfield,
> > NJ, with his with wife, Dorothy Haarde Jensen. He was born in E. Orange,
> NJ.
> > Russ was pre-deceased by his wife Dot, and is survived by his son Gary and
> > his wife Betty of Phoenix AZ, his daughter, Gail and her husband Barry
> Kayes
> > and granddaughter, Dana, of Charlottesville, VA, and his collection of
> many
> > friends.
> >
> >
> > Your memories, pictures and anecdotes about Russ are welcome. You many
> send
> > them to [log in to unmask]  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be
> > made to The Russell H. and Dorothy H. Jensen Memorial Fund, in care of the
> > Delaware Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 3937, Wilmington, DE 19807.