Betty Lou Russo passed away at age 86 on Friday, August 16, 2024. Services will be held on Thursday, August 22, at Passantino Bros. Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by a Memorial Service at 1:00 p.m.

Betty was a lifelong resident of Kansas City, Missouri.  Born of the marital relationship of Jack and Minnie Morris, she attended Northeast High School and lived in Old Northeast during the early years of her life.  In 1963 she married Frank Russo, the man of her dreams.   Soon after their marriage they moved from a small apartment on Norledge, to a home on Gladstone Boulevard overlooking the bluffs of Cliff Drive.  There she raised two children as her husband and his lifetime friend opened FraJos, a bar and restaurant in the East Bottoms Industrial Area.  They moved to the northland in 1985 and lived there until her passing.

Betty was an accomplished administrative assistant initially working for the Boy Scouts of America and then Cummins Diesel.  She left Cummins shortly after the birth of her daughter Michelle, becoming a stay-at-home mom.  When her children were older, she returned to the workforce spending many years with Modern Business Systems and then the Kansas City Museum of History and Science, from which she later retired.

Betty enjoyed traveling.  She and Frank visited many parts of the United States and Europe.  They frequently traveled with their closest of friends creating a lifetime of memories and stories for her to share.

Not long after their marriage, they purchased a cabin at the Lake of the Ozarks.  She and Frank worked tirelessly thereafter transforming this small cabin at the lake into a wonderful home on the water.  This home became a gathering place for many holidays and events with family and friends.  When they both retired, their stay at the lake often spanned weeks rather than days and the guest list expanded.

Her two grandchildren, Scott and Nicole, provided her with many memories which she so excitedly shared.  Both excelled athletically and educationally, which made her so proud.  She attended many of their events which became the source of many subsequent conversations.  More recently, it was her three great grandchildren who captivated her time and attention with their unique antics and personalities.

Betty is survived by Frank Nicholas Russo, her husband of more than sixty years, a son and daughter-in-law Jeffrey S. Eastman and Diane M. (Pace) Eastman, a daughter and her lifelong companion Michelle A. Russo and Scott Hoskins, a granddaughter Christina Nicole (Eastman) Kudlacz and her husband Geoffry F. Kudlacz, a grandson Scott A. Eastman and his wife Francesca J. (Christiano) Eastman and three great grandchildren, Mason A. Kudlacz, Gianna J. Eastman, and Dillon F. Kudlacz.

Honorary Pallbearers are Joe Cannova, Frank Mangaracina, Jimmy Farro, John Picconi, Geoffrey F. Kudlacz and Scott A. Eastman.

The family thanks the wonderful staff of Kansas City Hospice for their dedicated care and attention during the last hours of her life.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation in her name to Kansas City Hospice.