J. Russell Ebbets

Saratoga Springs - J. Russell Ebbets, 90, formerly of Nelson Avenue, died Easter morning (Mar. 23, 2008) after a short illness. For the past four years he had been a resident of Maplewood Manor in Ballston Spa.

Born in 1917, he attended St. Dominic’s High School in Oyster Bay, Long Island, where he graduated valedictorian of his class and excelled in football, basketball and golf. He also attended St. John’s University in Jamaica, Queens where he captained the golf team that earned numerous individual and team honors during his junior and senior years. The golfing profession ultimately became his life’s occupation.

Ebbets served in the US Army during World War II where he contracted polio. During his rehabilitation, he spent time at Warm Springs, Georgia. He was part of a patient-based theatre troop that was to present a variety show to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, also a patient at Warm Springs. FDR died the morning the show was to debut.

While polio impacted his ability to walk the long distances required by the Professional Golfers of America (PGA) Tour he nonetheless succeeded as a club professional. His rehabilitation and recovery from polio was profiled in one of the early editions of Golf Digest. The article noted that he rode as much as 20 miles a day on a stationary bicycle and that his early attempts to hit the golf ball often were followed by a fall to the turf. His persistence paid off and in a matter of months he was able to return to scratch golf.

Mr. Ebbets worked at numerous clubs on the East Coast including Piping Rock on Long Island, Yeaman’s Hall Club in Charleston, Farmington Country Club in Connecticut and most recently at Battenkill Country Club in Greenwich and finally at Ausable Club in Keene Valley, NY. He retired from Ausable in 1992.

He is pre-deceased by his wife of 50 years, Mary (Doherty) Ebbets, who died in November 2005.

Survivors include one sister, Mary Tucker of Tallahassee, FL; two sons, Russ Ebbets, DC of Union Springs, NY and John Ebbets of Hatfield, Massachusetts and two grandchildren, Keegan and Logan Ebbets, both of Hatfield.

Relatives and friends called Thursday (Mar. 27, 2008) at the William J. Burke & Sons/Bussing & Cunniff Funeral Homes, 628 North Broadway (584-5373 or burkefuneralhome.com).

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30am Friday March 28 at St. Clement’s Church, 231 Lake Avenue. Burial will follow in St. Peter’s Cemetery, West Ave.