James L Russell Jr.

RUSSELL, James L., Jr. Lt. Col. (US Air Force retired) 98 of Lilburn, GA and a longtime resident of Montgomery, died Monday, December 21, 2015. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Eunice Russell of Lilburn; his sons, Mike Russell (Kathy) of Bethlehem, GA and Richard Russell of Roswell, GA; his grandchildren, Kristine, Sarah and Peter Russell, and several niece and nephews. Mr. Russell completed 50 combat missions as a B-17 bomber pilot during World War II as part of the Army Air Force 97th Bomber Group, 414th Squadron. He was awarded the Air Force Longevity Service Award with 24 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Reserve Medal with hour glass device along with Korean, National Defense and United Nations Service Medals during 20 years of active service. He retired from the Air Force in 1963, moved to Montgomery, AL working for the State of Alabama Health Department for 20 years before retiring and volunteering for many years with the Alabama Department of Archives & History. He was a member of Woodley Baptist Church, now Thorington Road Baptist Church in Montgomery. Funeral services will be held 2:00pm on Saturday, Dec. 26th at Leak Memory Chapel with Pastor Wade Rials officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery with military honors. Family will receive friends at 1:00pm on Saturday prior to the service at Leak Memory Chapel. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer's Association (http://www.alz.org/) or to Thorington Road Baptist Church. Online condolences can be made at www.leak-mc.com.