Russell C. Schetroma

Meadville Attorney Russell L. Schetroma, 67, died in his sleep, Thursday, March 12, 2015 in The Woodlands, TX.

Born August 15, 1947 in Mount Carmel, PA, he was the son of Anthony F. and Bernice E. Williams Schetroma.  He is survived by his brother, Richard Schetroma and his wife Theresa of Danville, PA; a niece, Cathy Ream of Palmyra, PA; a nephew, Jeffrey Schetroma of Dayton, OH and a great nephew, Jonathan.

Russ graduated cum laude from Elon College and from the Dickinson School of Law.  He received a certificate in East/West Law and Relations from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (in coordination with the Austro-American Institute, Vienna, Austria and the Eotvos Larand University, Budapest, Hungary) and certificates in negotiation and mediation from the Harvard University Program of Instruction for Lawyers.

He founded the Meadville law firm Culbertson, Weiss, Schetroma and Schug, P.C. in 1972 with E. Max Weiss.  In 2010, he became a member of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC and has helped grow it from 175 lawyers to over 350 lawyers.  Russ served as managing member of both the Meadville and The Woodlands, Texas office.  In January of this year he was elected to serve a three year term on the 7 member executive committee of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC.

Russ was regarded by many as the “dean of Pennsylvania energy law.”  His legal practice focused on representation of oil and gas exploration and production companies in all aspects of their operations including lease and other document design, negotiations, permitting, administrative proceedings, joint operating agreements, farm outs, acquisitions, dispositions, due diligence reviews, title examination and reporting, financing, arbitration, mediation and litigation in state and federal courts.  He was a frequent author and speaker at energy trade and professional events and was in included among The Best Lawyers in America® for 2015.  Russ also received the John L. McClaugherty Award from the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation and the Pennsylvania Bar Association Award in Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Pro Bono Services in Pennsylvania.

He served as Solicitor for the City of Meadville from 1975 to 2010.  He was a lay leader of Stone United Methodist Church, a corporator of Greendale Cemetery, and a member of Meadville Literary Union, Round Table and Essayists Clubs.

He was the human companion to Sydney, Suna, Duke (“Dude”) and Hachiko.  He sometimes said, “I can only hope to have been as good a person as each of my canine friends thought I was.”

Calling hours will be Friday from 9:30 – 11 a.m. at Stone United Methodist Church, 956 S. Main Street, Meadville.  The memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. at the church with Rev. Norman Dunkle, officiating.

Interment will be in Greendale Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Crawford Heritage Community Foundation, (memo: Russell Schetroma), P.O. Box 933, Meadville, PA 16335.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Robert W. Waid Funeral Home, Inc., 581 Chestnut Street, Meadville, where memories and condolences may be shared at the funeral home’s website, www.waidfuneralhome.net.