Timothy Russert, father of famed journalist

Timothy J. Russert, known as “Big Russ,’’ grew up in South Buffalo and drove a city sanitation truck and a Buffalo News delivery truck to support his family.

The younger Russert, who died of a heart attack at 58 in June 2008, paid tribute to his father’s blue-collar values in the 2004 best-selling book “Big Russ & Me.’’ The book was a series of lessons the journalist said he learned from his father, a World War II veteran whose favorite expression, according to his son, was “what a country!’’

“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get,’’ the younger Russert wrote. “Hardly a day goes by when I don’t remember something that Big Russ taught me.’’

Mr. Russert was a longtime member of the Blackthorn Club, an Irish-heritage social club whose members meet monthly at a Buffalo pub for corned beef and cabbage and conversation. Yesterday, the club’s president recalled a 2007 meeting attended by Mr. Russert’s famous son, NBC camera crew in tow.

“That was probably the most memorable Blackthorn meeting we’ve ever had,’’ Patrick Roche said, “and the club started in 1917. He was so proud of his son.’’

Roche visited Mr. Russert in a Buffalo-area residential care facility about six weeks ago.

“He was sitting there with his New York Yankees hat on waiting for the ball game to come on TV,’’ Roche said. “He was an ardent Yankee fan and Buffalo Bills fan.’’

Those were traits famously shared by his son.

When a member of the Blackthorns dies, others in the group form an honor guard at the funeral, blackthorn walking sticks in hand, Roche said. The group would like to carry on the tradition with Mr. Russert, he said.

The family’s statement asked for privacy.

“While he was affectionately known to the world as ‘Big Russ,’ he carried no more important nor meaningful titles than those of father, grandfather, great-grandfather, patriot, and friend,’’ the statement said. “He passed peacefully with his family at his side.’’