Dojelo Crabaugh Russell

Dr. Dojelo Crabaugh Russell of Little Rock, formerly of Hot Springs, a former social worker, writer, and
university professor, died September 28 at Parkway Health Center. She was preceded in death by two
husbands, Don W. Russell and Holt G. Derrick, and by her parents, Alfred and Marjorie Crabaugh of
Russellville.

A native of Russellville, Dr. Russell attended public schools there, graduating as high school
salutatorian in 1943. She was graduated magna cum laude in 1947 from the University of Arkansas
where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Delta Delta, also earning credits from Mexico City
College, now the University of the Americas. She earned her master of social work degree from Tulane
University in New Orleans in 1956 and her doctorate from Catholic University of America in Washington,
D.C. in 1971.

Dr. Russell worked as a child welfare worker in Arkansas in the 1950s and then joined Arkansas
Rehabilitation Service where she was a social worker, then state supervisor of Tuberculosis Services. In
1960, when the state acquired the former Army-Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, she was one of a small
group who helped develop the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center. From 1960 to 1962, she was assistant
administrator of the Center and supervisor of student services. From 1962 to 1964, she was social
worker, then director of research for Arkansas Enterprises for the Blind, now Lions World Services for
the Blind in Little Rock.

From 1965 until she retired in 1983, Dr. Russell was a faculty member of the School of Social Work of
Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. At the time of her retirement, she was a
Professor, chair of the Social Work Educator Preparation Program, and Director of Curriculum
Development for the masters degree program. She was a site visitor for accreditation teams of the
Council on Social Work Education and the Southern Association and was also consultant to a number of
baccalaureate social work programs. She was honored with the rank of Professor Emerita at retirement.
An avid boater, Dr. Russell and her husband lived for several years after their retirement on their boat,
cruising Chesapeake Bay and Intracoastal Waterway. During winter months, they either sailed the boat
in Florida or left it in Virginia while they lived in countries that interested them, such as Spain or New
Zealand. She began a new career as a free-lance writer, writing travel and boating articles for regional
and national magazines and for the Arkansas Democrat. After moving to Hot Springs, she designed and
coordinated Elderhostel programs there for the University of Arkansas from 1992 through 2004,
bringing hundreds of visitors over the country to learn about the area and attend its festivals. For many
years, she was an active volunteer at Mid-America Science Museum, where she served as president of
the Volunteer Board from 1992 to 1994 and then became Secretary of the Board of Directors in 2005
when Museum became an independent corporation. She was a volunteer at The Literary Council of
Garland County. She also served for many years as secretary/treasurer of her condominium complexes,
first at Belvedere Stoneybrook and then at The Oaks.

Although she never attended Arkansas Tech University as a student, Tech was important to her. Her
father was Dean of the College there until his retirement, and her mother established the Crabaugh
Scholars program and the Crabaugh Communications Center which was named in honor of the family.
The family home now belongs to Tech as “the Crabaugh House”. In 2006, Dr. Russell endowed the Don
W and Dojelo Crabaugh Russell Rehabilitation /sciences Fund to assist students of social work or
rehabilitation.

She had no children of her own, but Don Russell’s children became her very beloved family. Deceased
are Mary Russell Duker of St. Louis and Robert Russell of Little Rock. Survivors are Dr. William Russell of
Little Rock, seven grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren. She enjoyed managing her own
financial affairs and used gifts of bonds and stocks to motivate the great-grandchildren to learn how to
be astute investors.

Dr. Russell requested that there be no formal memorial event beyond a simple family graveside
service at the Plumerville, Arkansas cemetery where she will be buried in the Russell plot. She asked
that any memorials be acts of kindness: perhaps flowers to someone in a nursing home, a special service
to an elderly friend, a gift to a needy person—something that, in her memory, would bring comfort or
happiness to someone living.