By Karenlyn Barone
Long was the oldest of four children, born to Mary and Francis Long of the Bronx. When the family moved to Lynbrook, Long attended St. Raymond Catholic School in East Rockaway. Eventually, his father's job with IBM moved the family to Pennsylvania, and Long graduated from high school there. Staying close to his new home, he attended Villanova, graduating in 1963 with a degree in political science.
Long's participation in ROTC at Villanova earned him a commission as an ensign, and upon graduation he was on the path to a career in the U.S. Navy. He served on the U.S.S. Chewaucan in the early 1960s, and then volunteered to serve in Vietnam, which he did in 1967 and 1968, as part of a U. S. Marine unit, assigned to the U.S.S. Dewey as a navigator. Long was discharged shortly after his return stateside.
The same year he was discharged, Long met Judy, a teacher from Scranton, Pa., who became the love of his life. They were married in 1969, and daughter Michelle was born in 1971. Michelle would graduate from Villanova 30 years after her father.
Although he enjoyed a successful stint as a salesman for Mobil Oil, Long missed the Navy so much that he re-enlisted. He served this time as a Navy recruiter, and he and his family lived in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, where Long was promoted to captain.
"He was very private - he never bragged," said Michelle of her father's illustrious career with the Navy. "The most important things to him were family and friends."
When Long retired from the Navy in October 1987, he returned to Long Island, and as the family settled in Rockville Centre, he tried to settle on a second career. He worked for a bond brokerage firm until he ran into an old St. Raymond's friend, who convinced Long to join him in the boat business. When that business filed for bankruptcy, Long filed for unemployment, and was offered a job with the Department of Labor.
At the same time, he became active in the Rockville Centre Republican Club and eventually began working in the Nassau County Legislature under then County Executive Tom Gulotta. "He became deputy commissioner of general services, and eventually special assistant to Gulotta," said Judy.
Long earned a reputation for being both professional and personable. A voracious reader and genuine family man, he counted the long-term friendships he made as one of his life's most precious gifts.
For the last two years of his life, he was clerk/treasurer for the Village of East Rockaway, where he continued to harvest friendships. "He was the most wonderful man," said Doris Piedemonte, a village employee who worked closely with Long. "He was always so sweet and very respectful."
A year ago, Long developed excruciating pains in his stomach. "Believe it or not, he looked up a doctor he remembered was an internist in the Navy," said Judy. "The diagnosis was stage four liver cancer. He was the best patient. He never complained."
And Long continued to enjoy life the best he could. The family took a long-awaited trip to Ireland last fall, in celebration of their 35th wedding anniversary. "Dad traveled all over the world with the military, but that trip was special," said Michelle, the daughter he doted on, now an accountant in Washington, D.C.
Long's health declined in April, and he died peacefully at his home on May 18, surrounded by those he loved most - his wife, his daughter and his beagle, Maggie, a Christmas gift from Michelle.
Long was a member of the Rockville Centre Republican Club, and was to be sworn in as its first vice president last week. In an unprecedented move, and as a loving memorial to him, his seat will remain empty for the length of his term. He was also a Republican Committeeman for Rockville Centre, a member of the East Rockaway Republican Committee, a past commander of American Legion Post No. 303, a past president of the Officer's Club of Long Island, and a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Division 14, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Knights of Columbus of St. Agnes Cathedral.
Long was eulogized by Senator Dean Skelos at a memorial service at St. Agnes Cathedral on May 23. His interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery on June 22, at 11 a.m. The family is asking that donations be sent to Dr. Kemeny's Pump Research Fund, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Attention: Dr. Nancy Kemeny, 1275 York Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10021.
