Collector Russell Huff has passed

[Guest Killer Kane]

I just read online that famous author, publisher, collecting pioneer, historian, and family man Russ Huff has passed away at age 87. I was luckly enough to know Russ (mainly through letters and emails we exchanged over the years as well as a lot of horse trading). As I fledgling collector many years ago I contacted Russ to purchase a copy of his seminal book 'Wing And Badges of WW II.' This began a personal correspondence which eventually led me to purchasing several major collections of his, including a unique collection of wings and memorabilia related to the USS Enterprise CV-6; many of which were featured in his short-lived periodial 'Wings & Things' (Number 16, Summer 1991). I can't think of another man who has had as many major collections pass through his hands as Russ has. After years of pretty constant contact we sort of drifted apart, then in 2017 he suddenly sprang to mind and it occured to the gift he had bestowed on mysef and the community with his writing and collecting. I wrote and mailed him a letter in gratitude. Here, in part, is what I wrote:

 

"A hundred years from now someone will write the definitive history of wing collecting and from that huge cast of characters there'll be one person that stands slightly apart from the rest, someone a bit larger than life, someone who's challenged both himself and others to try and make the hobby a little more accessible and friendly, someone that tried to help collectors everywhere become a little more educated, who tried to make the hobby a little more honest and maybe and, as a result, made it just a little more fun. As one of those collectors I just wanted to say Thanks."

 

Russ emailed me back and with his usual wit and asked if I wanted to write his obituary.

 

I think I just did.

  

   

[manayunkman]

RIP

[pfrost]

I also talked to Mr. Huff a few times as a newbie collector. He was always very pleasant to me. I had to buy two copies of his book because the first one fell apart.

 

For good or bad, he was one of the originals and (like he told me the first time we talked) I hope he finds clear skies and good hunting.

 

I recall one heady night when someone gave me Duncan Campbell's phone number.  So I called him and we had a pleasant chat about WWI wings. Then Mr Campbell gave me Don Chalif's phone number and I called him next.  Mr Chalif was no longer collecting, but he gave me Russ Huff's number.  So I called him next.  During that one evening (IIRC) I talked to the authors of ALL my wing reference books.  I totally geeked out.  But all three were very nice and gave me some great advice. Be patient, do your research and watch your wallet very carefully if you are going to buy wings.

[Allan H.]

This is indeed sad news. One thing that always struck me about Russ Huff and J. Duncan Campbell was that both had TONS of experience and knowledge, but neither one of them ever acted like they were better than anyone else. So many times in this hobby, I have met an author or collector who had a pretty high opinion of themselves. Nobody could ever accuse Russ or Duncan of prentetiousness. 

 

I would like to express to the Huff family my deepest sympathies and condolences. I would also tell them that his efforts did much to help the hobby. We will be eternally in his debt.

 

Allan

 

 

[rathbonemuseum.com]

I too would like to add my appreciation to Russ for printing one of the first "bibles" in English describing all the wings from other small air forces that set my collection on its path. His was the foundation that spurred so much more scholarship, especially after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Thanks Russ. RIP.

[bschwartz]

I had the opportunity to visit Russ at his Florida home many years ago.  He had stopped actively collecting by that time and only had a few pieces left of his collection but he was still very eager to talk about wings.  Over a lovely lunch his wife had made for us we talked about how he got started with collecting and how the book came about and how his collection funded so many things for his family.  He was very supportive of my website and encouraged me to keep building it out which is one of the reasons it has grown to be what it is today.  Well, that and the fact that collectors from all over the world have been generous enough to share images with me to display.  We all know that Russ' book contained errors and it was self published so it's not up to the standards of things like the "Silver Wings..." books or the newer books that have come out but it was awesome for its time and launched many people on the hunt for rare items.  A few weeks after my visit Russ let me know that there was a package on the way to my house.  It turned out to be all the original contact sheets for his book plus a ton of photos of badges that people had sent him over the years.  Like Patrick, I was blessed to be able to talk to all the authors who wrote the books that I studied so hard when I first started collecting.  And I also took more from the advice that they gave me about life and collecting in general than I did about the attributes of any particular wing.  This hobby has been an exercise in human behavior as much as it has about military history.  I thank Russ for helping give me a guiding hand on my ever continuing journey and to all of those who continue to do so today.