Michael Bradley Russell

Michael Bradley “Brad” Russell, of Brandon, Mississippi, passed away on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Visitation will be held at Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon on Saturday, February 21, 2026, from 2:00 to 4:00pm, with a memorial service beginning at 4:00 pm in the funeral home chapel.

Brad was born on April 24, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi, to John Michael Russell and Joyce Russell Splain. Brad graduated from Hillcrest Christian School in the class of 1998, where he shined on the baseball and football field. He helped lead Hillcrest to a state title in 1996, 1997, and 1998 and was inducted into the Hillcrest Sports Hall of Fame. Brad loved being in the outdoors and that was where he felt most alive. If he was not in the woods, you could find him fishing or riding full throttle on backroads. He embraced adventure and never feared the unknown. God gave Brad a wild spirit and he used it fully. Brad was the kind of guy that was good at just about everything he tried, but what people will remember most is his big contagious smile and deep laugh. It turned strangers into friends almost instantly. His genuine heart and charm earned him many lifelong friendships and those are a reflection of how much he was loved. He was the co-founder of Spartan Homes, establishing 7 locations. He took so much pride in Spartan and it meant more to him than just a livelihood. It is where he left his mark and legacy.

Brad is preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Lucy and John Henry Russell, and maternal grandparents, Albert Wallace Dennis and Neva Ruth Skidmore.

Survivors include Jennifer Russell (daughters, Julianne Deweese and Aniston Thompson); mother, Joyce Russell Splain; father, John Michael Russell; halfsister, Bailey Barnett (Daniel); and niece and nephew, Lucy and Walker Barnett.