Hannah was born October 30, 1939, southeast of London. Named Rosemary Jean by her parents, she chose her maternal grandmother’s name as her first name, later in life. With her parents, Douglas and Gladys Bayly, she survived the Blitzkrieg and the hardships of wartime England. Her dear sister, Shirley, was born in 1946, and throughout their childhood they benefitted from the love and care of a close-knit family of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
In 1960, she married William Russell, a Scot serving in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Paris, France. Hannah (Rosemary) met Bill in Paris, while visiting her French pen pal. Air Force life entailed many moves, so the first of their four children, Daniel, was born in the U.S., followed by Liam and Nikki, born in Germany, and Kathryn, born in Paris. A fifth child, Emma, died shortly after birth in 1971, in Lakewood, WA. As a military family, the family enjoyed lengthy stays with grandparents in England, and several times they camped coast to coast in the U.S., learning history, geography, and self-sufficiency.
While the family lived in Germany (1973-1977), Hannah co-founded and directed a Montessori preschool and kindergarten serving the needs of American, British, and German children. After returning to their home in Tacoma, Washington, in 1977, Hannah went back to school, where she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington, and followed up with a graduate degree in Social Work in 1984. Throughout her career in social work, she served children who were survivors of abuse, and developed training for agencies and community groups in the fields of sexual abuse and domestic violence.
In the 1980s, Hannah was drawn to the ethic and practice of nonviolence and took part in nonviolent resistance to the Trident nuclear weapons at the Naval Submarine Base at Bangor, in Kitsap County. To deepen her commitment, she joined the small core community at the Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action as an intern in 1986, moving from Tacoma to Kitsap County. It was here that she met her beloved partner, Bryan Shrader.
On a brilliant July day in 1990, they celebrated their marriage at Ground Zero Center. Bryan taught her to play tennis and paddle a kayak, and together they enjoyed camping and delighted in spending time with her grandchildren. Bryan’s unstinting love and encouragement, as well as that of family and friends, supported her through surgery and treatment for breast cancer in 1993 and 1994.
Her life with Bryan brought her to Port Townsend in 1996, where they built a home — a place of safety, security, and peace — not just for Hannah, but also for her adult children and cherished grandchildren. Hannah and Bryan volunteered with many Port Townsend organizations, including the Food Co-op Board, Habitat for Humanity, Friends of Fort Worden, and the North Beach Neighborhood Group.
In 2001, Hannah became an active member of the newly formed Port Townsend peace movement and joined with other women to form Port Townsend Women in Black, standing weekly in silent protest of war. Drawn by the need for spiritual community and the long history of the Quakers in promoting peace and social justice, she began attending Port Townsend Friends Meeting in October 2001, and became a member of the Religious Society of Friends in 2003.
After a lengthy illness in 2004, Hannah committed herself to the quieter activities of home and garden that became her principal vocation. She loved to share her garden with family, especially her dear grandchildren. She named it the “Peace Garden,” and put up a sign welcoming everyone from the neighborhood and beyond. Hannah and Bryan enjoyed walks in the woods or along the beach, and made time each day to sit together over a ritual cup of tea after lunch. After Bryan’s death in 2011, Hannah moved to an apartment and later resided at Avamere with her little service dog, Bayly, who was her continual companion and comfort.
A prolific writer, Hannah wrote many letters to the editor over the years, hoping to influence others to consider the issues of civil rights, peace, and social justice. She kept up a busy personal correspondence and maintained a journal all through her life. While sojourning at the Quaker Retreat and Study Center at Pendle Hill, Philadelphia, she wrote an essay that was published as a Quaker pamphlet in 2015.
Hannah died on June 22, 2025, with her family and friends nearby. She leaves behind four dearly loved children, from whom she learned so much about life: they are Daniel Russell, Liam Bayly, Nikki Russell, and Kathryn Russell. She is also survived by her dear sister, confidante, and friend, Shirley Levon; her niece Rose and nephew John (Kate); seven grandchildren that she was devoted to and beloved by: Nicole, Jason, Zachary, Christopher, Devon, Liam and Noni; and four great-grandchildren.
A Quaker Memorial Meeting for Worship for Hannah Russell will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 10:00 am, at the Port Townsend Friends Meetinghouse, 1841 Sheridan St., Port Townsend, WA.
