Russ Fahrner

Russ Fahrner was born in Chicago in 1949 and recently celebrated his 53rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Pat. Together they have three children and three grandchildren. One of the highlights of this past year was Russ achieving total remission and survivorship from Leukemia. He and Pat spend more than four months each year in Florida, where Russ enjoys two of his greatest passions outside of family: water and boating.

Russ attended Quigley South and graduated from St. Ignatius High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota, a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University, and an ESL teaching certificate from the College of Lake County. Throughout his career, Russ worked in juvenile justice and clinical settings, managed higher education student services departments, and taught and advised community college students and business executives throughout the Chicago area.

In 2018, Russ and his partner Bruce Bohrer incorporated their business, Brussell. Together they authored Embrace Retirement, a book designed to help retirees navigate the transition into retirement through a seven-step guide focusing on work, finances, living arrangements, relationships, health and fitness, hobbies and activities, and social connections. They also wrote Chicago – The Great Retirement Resource, which highlights the many ways Chicago’s neighborhoods, schools, restaurants, parks, museums, lakefront, and beloved sports teams can enrich retirement life. In addition to writing, Brussell conducts retirement workshops for libraries, banks, educational institutions, and retirement communities. Both books are available through Eckhartz Press.