In Memoriam: Candyce S. Russell

Candyce Russell

Longtime NCFR member Candyce S. Russell, Ph.D., died on April 8, 2019, at age 73.

Dr. Russell graduated with distinction from Cornell University and earned her master's degree in Sociology and doctorate in family social science, both from the University of Minnesota. She taught in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Kansas State University for 37 years, where she co-founded the marriage and family therapy program and served as its director from 1982-1994. Dr. Russell achieved the rank of full professor in 1986 and was later named to the first endowed chair in the College of Human Ecology. She was beloved teacher and connected many of her students with NCFR.

As part of her doctoral dissertation, she was a co-developer (along with David Olson and Douglas Sprenkle) of the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems, which continues to inform research and practice in family therapy and family studies. 

Dr. Russell was also a member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT), and served as secretary on its board of directors, and as president and vice president of the Kansas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She was a frequent author for the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science, and other scholarly social science journals.  

The family requests no flowers. For those who would like to make a donation in Candy's honor, the family would suggest the Couples and Family Therapy Program, Kansas State University, the ALS Association, or the Good Shepherd Hospice House of Manhattan, Kansas.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 13 at 2:30 p.m. at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, in Manhattan, Kansas.  

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