It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Firefighter William “Bill” Russell. Bill passed away today, March 15th, 2026. Bill joined the Canton Fire Department on April 4th, 1974, serving the Canton community for nearly 52 years. He served both as a firefighter and an EMT over the years, as well as a safety officer. Bill has served as a County Fire Instructor, as a member of the haz-mat team, as an EVOC instructor for various insurance companies, as the primary operator of the county UCV-1, and as a board member for the George E. Briggs St. Lawrence County Fire Training Center. He very much enjoyed being a member of the Canton Fire Department, whether it was fighting fire, driving a truck, helping with training, asking thought provoking questions at meetings, or having animated conversations over coffee in the morning with the coffee crew. He will be missed. Please keep his family in your thoughts at this difficult time. Arrangements are with the O’Leary Funeral Service.
