Russell Claar, 88, was born August 23, 1918 in Selden Kansas, and passed away at home in Pasco, WA, on September 15, 2006. His family thanks Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice for their caring assistance with his passing. After moving with his mother, father and sister to Pullman, WA from Kansas he attended WSU obtaining a degree in Architectural Engineering. Upon graduation from WSU in 1942 he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Engineer Corp and served during WWII in the Aleutians and Okinawa. After the war he remained active in the Army Reserves and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. In 1944 he married Audrienne Albro of Sunnyside, WA and in 1949 they moved to Richland, WA where he worked for General Electric. During that time he and his wife homesteaded a unit in Block 15 developing it into irrigated farmland. In 1962 he and his family moved to Bellevue, WA where he worked for Boeing. Upon retiring he returned to the Tri-Cities to develop his farms into orchard and vineyard. In 1979 he planted the 1st vineyards in anticipation of the eventual Claar Cellars Winery and after his 2nd retirement spent many hours advising in its growth.

He is preceded in death by his father, Ross, his mother Anna, his sister Valerie Lewis and his wife, Audrienne Claar. He is survived by his only child, Crista Claar Whitelatch, her husband, Robert C. Whitelatch and their sons, John Claar Whitelatch and James Claar Whitelatch.

He was a hard working, kind and loving husband, father and grandfather. Russell’s legacy of Claar Cellars Winery lives on. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Russell and Audrienne Claar Memorial Scholarship C/O CBC Foundation, Columbia Basin Community College, 2600 N 20th, Pasco, WA, 99301