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Volleyball Officiating Excellence
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Russ Poage Celebration of Life
Russ D. Poage, 76, passed away unexpectedly on June 29, 2026, in Spokane, WA. He was the husband of Linda (Martin) Poage, and they shared 56 years of marriage.
Born in Spokane, he was the son of Raymond and Ruby Poage. Russ grew up in Spokane and graduated from Rogers High School in 1968. Prior to retiring and moving to Priest River, ID, Russ worked as a Safety Consultant for Washington State's Department of Labor and Industries.
In addition to his "day job," he was also the Executive Director for the Pacific Northwest Qualifier-a youth volleyball event sanctioned by USA Volleyball, and was proud to have been a key factor in its success. He worked hard to bring it from 53 teams in 1995, to 800+ teams this past year. In the 90's, Russ started the first youth volleyball club in Spokane (Spokane Juniors) so that girls had the opportunity to play a sport that they loved outside of their school setting. To this day, many of those girls still stay in touch and share stories of their many memories of those times. Second only to his family, volleyball was a true source of love, dedication, and joy.
Ten years ago, he and Linda moved back to Linda's childhood home of Priest River to enjoy living on the water, and the slower life. Being "at the river" with his daughters, sons-in-law, and grandkids was his true happy place. When it got too cold in Idaho, Russ and Linda ventured to Arizona, so that Russ could go on his off-road Rzr rides with his buddies, and Linda could binge-watch college basketball, read her books, and soak in the sunshine by the pool.
Russ was known for his willingness to donate to any and all youth sports, his love for his family (especially his grandkids), telling stories about his experiences, his Backwoods cigar aroma, and his volleyball legacy. He was one-of-a-kind and will be greatly missed.
Russ is survived by his wife Linda, daughter April (Mike) Stark, daughter Rusan (Kyle) Barnes, granddaughters Peyton, Avery, & Logan, and grandson Braden. He is also survived by his brother Randy (Kim) Poage. Russ was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Ruby Poage.
A private funeral service will be held in July, and Russ will be laid to rest in Fairmount Cemetery. A celebration of life will occur in August or September for all family and friends in Priest River, ID.
Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the PNQ Scholarship Fund, c/o PNQ, P.O. Box 237, Cheney, WA 99004. **An online method has not yet been established, but please see updates on the PNQ Facebook page at a later date.
Celebration of Life will be held on August 7th @ 12 p.m. at Priest River Event Center.
5399 US-2 Priest River, ID 83856
WHY SHOULD YOU REF?
OFFICIATING IS A GREAT WAY TO:
- Be a part of a community of players, coaches, and officials
- Build confidence and leadership
- Develop Communication and conflict management skills
- Flexible schedule
- Learn the game at a deeper level
- Stay involved in the game you love
Capturing the spirit of volleyball excellence
