F. "Mel" Russo Carmelo

Carmelo F. ‶Mel″ Russo of Sheldrake, passed away following surgery on April 20, 2018 at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

The family will receive friends from 9:30am to 11:00am at St. Francis deSales Church in Geneva on Monday, April 30, 2018. A Memorial Mass will then be celebrated at the church by Fr. Thomas P. Mull at 11:00am.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a donation in Mel❜s memory to: Cayuga Lake Watershed Network, PO Box 348, Aurora, NY 13026

Born in Geneva on May 5, 1946, to John and Carmela (Rizzo) Russo, he attended St. Francis de Sales grade school and then graduated from DeSales High School. Mel was a 1968 graduate of SUNY Brockport and began teaching biology and chemistry at Romulus Central School that same year. He continued his education with graduate classes at Cornell University and several summer institutes. For forty two years he resided with his family on a small farm in East Varick on the west shore of Cayuga Lake, moving to Sheldrake in 2010.

In 1983 Mel became a licensed Real Estate broker and in 1990 became the founder/owner of Senecayuga Properties real estate firm in Seneca Falls. He served as Vice Chairman of the Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway Board and was a member of the Cayuga Lake Watershed Board of Directors, as well as serving as member and chairman of several citizen and municipal organizations. Mel will be fondly remembered for his spirit of generosity and wry wit. He was most proud of being able to share his great love of the Finger Lakes in his writings and lectures.

Mel is survived by three sons: Jon (Louise) of Cherry Hill, NJ; Tony (Leigh Ann) of Honeoye Falls, NY; and Matt (Lauren) of Syracuse, NY; and six granddaughters, Sofia, Lina, Alice, Anna, Nellie and Poppy. He is also survived by two brothers: Joe of South Bend, IN and John of Ithaca, NY and many nieces and nephews.