Who is Russell Turner in the novel, The Turner House?

Russell Turner is a career military man who has survived three decades of service as a marine and a bout with throat cancer. He has a level of gregariousness and a resolution to stay optimistic that often annoys his siblings. His first-born son shames him when he grows up to be an anti ‘big government’ Republican. Russell is the son who contributes the most financial aid to his mother’s care and she has a soft spot for him as a result.