Dr. Russell Allen Veitch, 82, of Bowling Green, Ohio died at Wood County Hospital in Bowling Green on August 19, 2026. He was born in Daggett, Michigan in 1944 to Samuel and Ruby (Behling) Veitch. He married his soulmate, Janice “Jan” Plumb, in 1964 at Albion Prairie Primitive Methodist Church in Edgerton, Wisconsin. Russ and Jan were thrilled at the arrival of their baby girl, Robin Lyn, with her red hair and Veitch dimple in her chin, in January of 1968.
Russ attended Edgerton High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison before earning his B.S. from UW-Whitewater. Following his B.S. degree, he taught high school Psychology for two years at Delavan-Darien High School. This experience prompted him to pursue a higher degree in Psychology. While attaining his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Social Psychology from Kansas State University he taught at Fort Riley, Kansas and Hastings College in Nebraska. At KSU he held an NDEA fellowship and a research associateship at the Institute for Environment Studies.
From 1973, Russ was employed by Bowling Green State University in their Psychology Department, where he served as Vice-Chair for the undergraduate program for 27 years and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Social Psychology, Environmental Psychology and Research Design. One of his environmental research projects took place in a small town near a toxic waste management facility. This led to his testimony in a successful class action lawsuit and the nickname of “the Erin Brokovich of north-central Ohio.” He tirelessly worked to champion an increase in undergraduate research and teaching. So much so, that he created an undergraduate research scholarship. Additionally, he administered grants from the National Science Foundation, the Ohio Selective Excellence programs, and from the Northern Ohioans for the Protection of the Environment and served as a peer reviewer for NSF, the Canada Council and numerous professional journals. His text book, Environmental Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Perspective, is used in a variety of environmental courses at the collegiate level in the U.S., as well as abroad. He retired with Emeritus status from the University in 2005.
Russ came from a poor family. At the age of 12, he started working as a farm laborer to help put food on the table. Because of this background, he was especially proud of his academic accomplishments. Throughout his high school and college days he worked for a roofing company and for a semi-trailer company “bucking” rivets so he could pay for his education. In later years, on trips to Wisconsin, he would point out, with pride, all the barns he had roofed.
A quick wit and a wry sense of humor were trademarks of Russ. He loved puns and making people laugh and he loved to write. He started writing stories and poems that he claimed were fiction, but most of the stories have a piece of his experiences in them. Some of those stories were from crumpled up pieces of paper that Jan would pull from the wastebasket. Over the years he compiled many stories and poems and was encouraged to put them together in a collection that he called “Stuff and Nonsense.” One of his stories describes the origin of his typical response “Just the Best” when asked how he was doing.
Russ was always looking to make life better for others through educational opportunities. This altruistic trait was the reason for establishing the Edgerton Alumni Foundation in his home town of Edgerton, Wisconsin. With the collaboration of a few high school friends, this became a reality. The Foundation was meant for small grants to be given to teachers and others, to support educational endeavors that are not funded by school resources. The promise to donors that “their donations would never be spent” meant that only the interest from the endowment fund was to be used for the grants. This model did not allow for operating and promotional money, thus the Edgerton Books and Art used book store became a reality. Russ and Jan purchased a building in downtown Edgerton and filled it with used books and artwork. It served as the home for the Foundation, was run by volunteers and the proceeds went to the Foundation’s operating fund. “Thursday Nights at the Bookstore” was a special time to host local authors, artists, and other talents. As another creative outlet, Russ enjoyed making greeting cards and buttons to be sold at the bookstore. After the bookstore closed, he continued to create buttons that made people laugh and pause to think. You could often find a basket of his free buttons by the register at Grounds For Thought coffee shop.
He loved all sports. However, his favorite sport was tennis. He played the game for many years, including at state and regional tournaments. He was a huge supporter of the BGSU Men’s Tennis program, where he and Jan would host team gatherings and travel with the teams on road trips. In later years, he would look forward to watching the Grand Slams on TV and still critique the players on their serves, swings and net play. He also loved watching his Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs and Detroit Red Wings, as well as any Wisconsin Badger or BGSU Falcon game (live and on TV). Of course, they both spent much time watching Robin playing basketball, marching band, and especially soccer in grade school and high school.
Russ is survived by his wife of 62 years, Jan; daughter Robin of Bowling Green; brother Samuel “Bill” (Linda) Veitch of Milford, IN and sister, Sharon (Marty) Mulhall of Janesville, WI. One nephew, Tim (Jen) Veitch of Fulton, WI and 4 nieces, Christie (Chad) Conway of Rockford, IL, Brenda (Al) Kendall, Tina (Bob) Katz and Nicole (Jason) Morgan, all of Janesville, WI. He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Ruby Veitch, and 2 brothers, Dale and Ken, both of Edgerton, WI. Our heartfelt thanks go out to all Wood County Hospital and Bridge Hospice nurses, especially Cortnie and Amanda for their loving care of Russ. Also, thanks to Bridge Home Health and Hospice for their support.
Join us to laugh and remember the bright moments Russ brought into our lives. We will raise a glass, eat food and catch up with old friends on Thursday, September 10 at 3:00pm at Stone Ridge Golf Club.
3:00-3:45pm Family Greeting/Condolences
3:45-4:15pm Stories and Tributes to Russ
4:15-6:00pm Continued Reminiscing
There will be another memorial celebration in Wisconsin toward the end of the month. More information will be posted in the Edgerton Reporter.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Psychology Undergraduate Scholarship (Russ’s scholarship), c/o The BGSU Foundation, Inc. 136 N. Mercer Road, Bowling Green, OH 43403. You could also make a donation to the Edgerton Alumni Foundation on their webpage or send to P.O. Box 187, Edgerton, WI 53534 (please note Russ’ name on the donation) or your favorite charity.
