By Deborah Larsen
James Russell Longwell Jr.
James Russell Longwell Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1922, the son of James and Marion Rupert Longwell. James grew up in Southfield, Michigan, and his family moved to Avon Township about 1940. They lived on Hamlin Road.
In November 1942, James entered the U.S. Army Air Forces and trained as a radio operator. He spent two years in the China-Burma-India Theater and was released from military service in November 1945.
After the war, James married and started a family. He attended the University of Michigan and began a career in precision tool manufacturing. He became the president of Johnson Carbide Products Company, based in Saginaw, Michigan. James died suddenly in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, while visiting his daughter.
James Russell Longwell died at age 53 on April 16, 1976.