Virginia K. Russell, 102, of Hebron passed away Sunday, September 6, 2026, at her home.
Born May 26, 1924, in Baltimore, MD, she was the daughter of the late Samuel M. and Ruth E. (Lutz) Kent. Her husband, James A. Russell passed away in 2018 after 52 years of marriage.
Virginia began piano lessons at age eight and trumpet at 14. At Western High School she played trumpet in the orchestra and was a member of the Inter-High School Orchestra.
In her first year of college at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA, she changed to the French horn. The next year, she got a three year scholarship to Peabody Conservatory of Music to study the horn and major in Music Education.
Virginia played in the orchestra there and then was given the opportunity to play in The Park Band of Baltimore City. She became the first woman to join that group and played with them for three seasons, professionally.
At the same time, she organized and conducted a Church-Community orchestra at the Edmondson Avenue Methodist Church in Northwest Baltimore. She also conducted a high school girls' chorus and a Community Chorus to sing with the orchestra from 1944 through 1946. She graduated from Peabody in 1945 with a Bachelor of Music Degree. She was the first person to graduate with a degree in Music Education with an instrumental emphasis, rather than vocal.
Immediately upon graduation, Virginia was hired to teach at Western High School to be the first instrumental music teacher there, in addition to the vocal music teacher. She taught there for three years, teaching the instruments, directing the orchestra and starting the first band ever at that school.
During this she became a member of the Alamedian Light Opera Company and sang leading roles in several productions, namely "The Vagabond King" and "Brigadoon". She was the musical director for the shows "Bitter Sweet" and "The Song of Norway". Virginia was affiliated with The Hopkins Theatre and had the title role in "Mrs. Warren's Profession" by G. B. Shaw - about 1957.
After moving to Salisbury in 1962, Virginia Russell organized and directed The Peninsula String Ensemble. Along with Dr. Jessie Fleming, she formed a string class for beginners, coordinated the class at the Campus School at Salisbury State and founded the String Instrument Program in the Wicomico County Public Schools.
She became a member of The Community Players and was the music director for their first musical with orchestra - "Guys and Dolls". She subsequently served in that capacity for eight more musicals. As an outgrowth of the Nuns Chorus of "The Sound of Music", the Community Singers was formed in January of 1971, and she continued to conduct that group for 31 years.
She joined the faculty of the Music Department of Salisbury State College in 1971 and taught there for eight years. While there she directed "Guys and Dolls" and the opera "Noah's Flood" by Benjamin Britten.
She served as Director of Music for St. Stephen's United Methodist Church in Delmar, DE from 1969 to 1973. For 13 years, from 1982 to 1995, Virginia was the Director of Music at Allen Memorial Baptist Church, where she staged and directed many religious musical dramas.
After retiring from Salisbury State University, she continued to teach privately until 2017. From 1996 on, Virginia served as a music volunteer, substitute choir director and pianist for services.
In 2002, she organized and conducted The Asbury United Methodist Church Orchestra and conducted that group until 2015.
Survivors include three children, Kathryn L. Diefenbach, A. Karl Diefenbach (Patricia), and J. Kara Russell; two granddaughters, Jennifer N. Diefenbach and Emily B. Gregalit (Frank); and six great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her sister, Margery Henke (Robert).
A Visitation will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 9:00 - 10:00 AM in Holloway Funeral Home, Salisbury. A Funeral Service will follow at 10:00 AM in the funeral home. Burial will be in Lorraine Park Cemetery, Baltimore.
Arrangements are in care of Holloway Funeral Home, 501 Snow Hill Road, Salisbury, MD 21804. Please leave condolences for the family at www.hollowayfh.com.
