Russell was the youngest of four children of Mark E. Russell and Carolyn Lois Russell. He grew up in Sunnyvale, California where his father was a City Councilman and Mayor. His grandfather and great-grandfather were also mayors.North County Times, "Cardiff’s Alan Russell casts mystery in midst of election year", January 18, 2004. Russell's parents met while serving in the Navy, where his father was second-in-command of a tug in Alaska and his mother was a naval flight nurse who tended to the wounded being flown out of Korea. She was also a member of the Ninety-Nines, an International organization for female pilots.
