James Russell Ebbets, Jr. 6/18/53 ~ 8/30/25
Saratoga Springs, NY – After a yearlong fight with brain cancer it is
with great sadness that we mourn the passing of James Russell “Russ”
Ebbets, Jr., a loved and respected member of the Union Springs NY
community and Finger Lakes region for some 30 years. Russ was born in
Hartford, Connecticut to James Russell Ebbets Sr. and Mary Doherty
Ebbets. He grew up in Oyster Bay, NY and Saratoga Springs, NY.
Russ was pre-deceased by his parents and is survived by his wife,
Jeannie O’Farrell Ebbets; his brother John Ebbets (Lindsay); niece
Logan Mary Ebbets; nephew Keegan Russell Ebbets (Danielle), former
sister-in-law and trusted friend Jan McCoy Ebbets, Jeannie’s children
and grandchildren.
Russ graduated from Oyster Bay High School where he was inducted into
the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He went on to earn undergraduate
and graduate degrees from Union College, New York Chiropractic College
and Villanova University, recently completing an undergraduate degree
at Villanova that he started in 1972. He also completed master’s
degrees in education, exercise science, and communications. During his
graduate studies, he traveled to Russia to study sport science of the
Eastern Bloc nations.
Russ’s career path took him from high school English teacher and track
coach at Bishop Gibbins High School in Schenectady NY, to track coach
at Union College, to teaching at New York Chiropractic College. He had
a private chiropractic practice for more than 30 years. He authored a
number of books; his first was “Supernova,” a novel based on his
freshman year as a member of the Villanova track team. His most recent
book is “Call Me Coach,” a compilation of interviews with highly
successful track coaches. He was collaborating on another book at the
time of his death.
Russ was an avid hiker and earned the title of “Adirondack 46er”
having completed all 46 hikes of the Adirondack High Peaks. He loved
the game of golf and would often go out on his own to improve his
game. Russ loved a good joke, and especially loved telling jokes when
he had an eager audience.