Mr. Russell F. “Rusty” Elwell, 92, of Pembroke Hill Road, died on July 4, 2015 at the Concord Hospital.

Born in Portland, Maine, on February 6, 1923, Rusty was the son of Edwin and Bethelyn (Hodkins) Elwell.

After high school in 1942, Russ joined the Army Air Corps and saw duty in India, Burma, Sumatra and participated in the air offensive against Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He flew on 22 missions to Japan as a left gunner, including the first, the last, and the longest mission in the history of the B-29.

He also flew in 10 round-trip flights over “The Hump,” the eastern end of the Himalayas. When the treaty to end the war was being signed on the USS Missouri on August 15, 1945, Russ was flying in one of the many B-29s overhead.

Russ was one of the New Hampshire World War II veterans featured in the book We Went to War written by Mike Pride and Meg Heckman in 2008. On May 16 of this year, Russ, accompanied by his grandson, Adam Painchaud, attended his 58th Bomb Wing, 40th Bombardment Group reunion at the New England Air Museum in Connecticut.

Following his discharge in October 1945, Rusty went to work at Sawyer Studio on Pleasant Street in Concord for Charles Sawyer’s son, Harold, making frames and developing photographs that were later hand-colored and painted.

He built over 30 houses in the Pembroke and Concord area before starting his company, Milruss Boats, that was located in the China Mills in Allenstown. Later Russ worked as a production manager for Pembroke Boats, owned by his brother, Jed Elwell, and then as plant manager for Penn Yan Boats in New York.

After a couple of years, Russ and his family missed New Hampshire so much that they moved back to Pembroke, where he built the home that he lived in and maintained until the end of this May.

Rusty ran his own construction company and was also a master plumber and electrician. He later was superintendent of buildings and grounds for the former Mount St. Mary College in Hooksett and New Hampshire College before retiring.

Russ served on the Pembroke Library building committee and was a community aid for the Pembroke Police Department. He was a past member of the Canterbury Sno-Shakers snowmobile club, the New Hampshire Audubon Society, and the YMCA Outing Club.

He was predeceased by his wife of nearly 65 years, Millie (Hiscock) Elwell, and his brother Gerald Elwell.

Rusty is survived by his son David Elwell and his wife Elizabeth of Andover and his daughter Dale Cheney and her husband Wayne of Gilford. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Adam Painchaud and his wife Christy of Alton, Jason Cheney of Pembroke, and Jasmine and Daisy Elwell of Andover; his great-grandsons,Wyatt Elwell of Andover, Addison Allbee and Abel Elwell Painchaud of Alton; his 101 year-old sister,Helen Callahan and her husband Robert of Concord; and many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services and burial with military honors was held on July 10 at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. Following the service, there was a reception at Allen’s Restaurant in Boscawen.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pembroke Town Library, 313 Pembroke St, Pembroke NH 03275, or to the 58th Bomb Wing Memorial, New England Air Museum, Bradley International Airport, Perimeter Rd, Windsor Locks CT 06096.

Petit Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements and offers an online guestbook at PetitFuneralHome.com.