Carol Starnes Russell, 73, of Hendersonville, N.C., daughter of the late William H. Starnes and Helen Hale Starnes, died peacefully on Nov. 19.

 A native of Asheville, N.C., Mrs. Russell lived in Baltimore, Md., Rock Hill, S.C., and Oxford before moving to Hendersonville, N.C. Mrs. Russell graduated from Lee H. Edwards High School in Asheville, then Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C. She received a Master's in Special Education in speech/language pathology from the University of Georgia. A lifelong educator, she taught at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine, Fla., the Baltimore, Md., City Schools, and the Newton County School System.

She married Stuart Darby McCanless of Asheville, N.C., in 1960 and with him raised three sons. In 2009, she was remarried to Bobby Gene Russell of Asheville, N.C. Raised as a loyal member of Central United Methodist Church in Asheville, she retained her membership in that faith all of her life. During her many years in Oxford, Mrs. Russell taught Sunday school and was a choir member and soloist at First United Methodist Church in Covington and later at Allen Memorial UMC in Oxford.

From 1986-2007, she served as a highly respected volunteer with the University Student Field School Programs and participated in numerous Native American archeological expeditions along the East Coast, in the Midwest and American West, all culminating in her recognition as Distinguished Archeologist of the Year by the University of South Carolina. As an international volunteer, she lived for seven weeks with the Bedouins during an excavation in Petra, Jordan, in 1992. Her passion for archeology and history took her to Egypt 17 times where she lived as a specially adopted member of Adly Khattab's family of Nazlet el Samman, Giza. She was a member of the American Research Center in Egypt, the Friends of Nekhen and many other professional, community, and archeological associations.

Surviving are husband Bob Russell; brother Bill Starnes and wife Nancy, of Knoxville, Tenn.; sons Philip McCanless and partner Violet Aguilar and her daughter Stella of Los Angeles, Calif.; Brant McCanless and wife Carla, and Forrest McCanless and wife Laura of Oxford; step-children Kathleen Russell and Lynn Taylor, Mark and Joann Russell, Shawn and Mary Russell, Scott and Tina Russell, Elizabeth Russell, and Chris Russell; nephews Brian Starnes of Knoxville, Tenn., and Kent Starnes of Severna Park, Md.; grandchildren Madeline, Cameron and Evelyn McCanless; 11 step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.

Friends and family gathered Nov. 23 at Brigman's Funeral Service, Black Mountain, N.C. Pallbearers were Chris Russell, Brian Starnes, Kent Starnes, Sam Ramsey, Steve Lowe and Bob Stokes.

The family requests flowers be omitted and a donation be made in memory of Mrs. Carol Russell to Four Seasons Hospice, 571 South Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731.