His performance there was a disappointment; he left for Southwestern Oregon Community College where he met his wife at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting.[20] They married in 2012. Together, they started a bakery in North Bend, Oregon.[41] They sold the bakery in 2015 so his wife could be closer to her family; they settled in Sumner, Washington, and Russell found employment with Horizon Air.[39] He was an avid traveler and attended Washington State University Global Campus, majoring in social science. He had planned to seek a management position at Horizon Air or become a military officer after receiving his degree.[18] He was active in his church and a leader in the local Christian youth ministry Young Life.[37]