Savatt Jr.: Longtime CC Russ Savatt Passes

Russell W. Savatt Jr. MGySgt. USMC (Ret.) died peacefully on September 7, 2015

Russell W. Savatt Jr. MGySgt. USMC (Ret.) died peacefully on September 7, 2015, at his home in Poway, California.  He was 87 years old.  Services will be held Wednesday, September 30, 2015, at 11:00 am at the Miramar National Cemetery. Russell was raised in Kings Park, NY and is preceded in death by his parents Russell W. & Helen Savatt and his sister Sally (Joe) LaValle.  Russell is survived by his wife Josephine, four children: Laura Reynolds (Jim), Russell W. Savatt III (Chris), Mark Savatt and Claudine Hagerstrom (Robert) and their beloved grandchildren.

Russ enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1947.  Two years later he graduated in 1949 from the New York Institute of Photography.  He served an honorable and distinguished 32 year career in the Marines. A decorated veteran of the Korean War, he also served two tours in Vietnam.   He was the recipient of the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and Combat Action Ribbon plus various unit citations, including the Good Conduct Medal. Following Vietnam, he was a photographer for Leatherneck Magazine, a tour which took him to many exciting places.  He was also selected to photograph the 1972 Munich Olympics for the Marine Corps.  The final years of Russ’ Marine Corps career brought the Savatt’s to San Diego where Russ finished his career as non-commissioned officer of the photo lab at the MCRD San Diego. Russ and Jo were active members of the San Diego Chapter of the United States Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association.

Following his retirement from the Marine Corps he joined the Oceanside Police Department (OPD) in 1980 as their Police Photographer.  At OPD Russ was responsible for operating the crime lab, training officers and photographing crime scenes.  Russ retired from OPD after 13 years of service.