Bill Russell | Jeannine Russell and Bill Russell | Source: Getty Images | Instagram/realbillrussell
It has been just over one year since Jeannine Russell lost her famous husband, Bill Russell, and the former pro golfer regularly pays tribute to the ex-NBA player on social media. The pair were a few years shy of celebrating ten years of marriage and were the picture of a happy couple.
When Bill Russell passed away, his wife Jeannine Russell, née Fiorito, was by his side as she had been for many years. She also thanked her husband's family and friends for their support and condolences during the difficult time.
Jeannine Russell, famously known as the sports star's wife, was also in the same industry. However, not many may know about her private life.
Jeannine and Bill Russell during the Class of 2021 Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala as part of the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony on September 10, 2021, in Uncasville, Connecticut. | Source: Getty Images
When Did Jeannine and Bill Russell Get Married?
Not much is known about Jeannine's life before meeting Bill, but her husband previously disclosed that she was a pro-golfer in a post. He said:
"The wife and I spent the day on the golf course. Ole #6 got a lucky bounce. I need all the help I can get against an Ex-Pro golfer."
Jeannine is a Canadian former professional golfer who joined several tournaments from 2007 to 2010, mainly participating in the CN Canadian Women's Tour. In 2010, she was dubbed Player of the Year as per Gold Canada.
The 11-time NBA champion also penned another tribute on Valentine's Day.
At the time of writing, she had created an Instagram account and had amassed over 600 followers. However, one year after the heartbreaking news of Bill's passing, Jeannine used her husband's Instagram account to commemorate the anniversary of his death with a picture of herself hugging a statue of her late husband.
"1 yr ago I lost the love of my life my best friend my husband my heart. 💔 Please honor him by doing a random act of kindness no matter how big or small this would be something he would love & be proud to be a part of (sic)," the caption read.
In 2016, Jeannie tied the knot with Bill and became his fourth wife. In 2020, the couple renewed their vows right before the COVID-19 lockdown, surrounded by close family and friends. The groom shared the memorable occasion on social media, writing in a tweet:
"On this day just before the Covid shut down we were able to say 'I Do' again with the ones we love. Tell the people you love how you feel, no day is guaranteed."
A year later, he shared another post to commemorate the special day. Bill noted that they renewed their vows on January 24 — and 24 was Kobe Bryant's number, so this was a connection to him from Bill's side.
He said: "Happy one-year vow renewal @Anniversary to my wonderful wife. We realized today we were married on the 8th and renewed our vows on the 24th. The #Kobe connection goes deep."
Inside Jeannine Russell's Happy Relationship with Bill Russell
Jeannine and her husband seemed to have a happy life together following their marriage and were never shy to show their relationship to the world. Although they lived a quiet life, Bill often shared bits and pieces of their days, including special occasions.
Previously, he paid tribute to Jeannine on her birthday, referring to her as his "beautiful wife." He shared another photo from their wedding, where they looked sweetly at each other.
The 11-time NBA champion also penned another tribute on Valentine's Day, where it seemed that they played a round of golf for the day's activity. In 2021, the pair's Thanksgiving was spent quietly at home, and they commemorated it with a selfie on Instagram. He wrote:
"#Thankful to be with the one I Love. This is how we like to celebrate."
Bill and Jeannine also celebrated other special occasions, including St. Patrick's Day and Halloween. On St. Patrick's Day, the pair donned matching green shirts that read, "Wicked Smaaht." Meanwhile, on Halloween, they dressed up as bacon and eggs.
In honor of Bill's birthday on February 12, Jeannine wore a customized Boston Celtics jersey of her husband to a Celtics NBA game.
Jeannine Was the Fourth Wife of Bill
Although Jeannine had no children with Bill, she became a stepmom to his three children, Jacob, William Jr. and Karen Russell, from previous relationships. The NBA star shared his three kids with Rose Switcher, his first wife. Bill Russell divorced Rose in 1973 after welcoming their three children.
In 1977, he walked down the aisle for the second time to marry Dorothy Anstett but divorced her three years later. He married his third wife, Marilyn Nault, in 1996 and remained wed until 2009.
Jeannine Russell's Social Media Tributes to Her Late Husband
On January 24, Jeannine Russell took to Instagram to celebrate her and Bill's anniversary and sweetly shared, "I miss you every minute of every day." In honor of Bill's birthday on February 12, Jeannine wore a customized Boston Celtics jersey of her husband to a Celtics NBA game. Bill's wife also gave a special shoutout to the custom jersey designer.
A day later, Jeannine returned to Instagram to thank her late husband's former NBA team for honoring him on his birthday, as well as all the people who went up to greet her. "It was an emotional night," Bill's wife revealed.
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