by Karenlyn Barone
Long was the eldest of four children, born to Mary and Francis of the Bronx. When the family moved to Lynbrook, Long attended St. Raymond¹s Elementary School in East Rockaway. Eventually, his father¹s job with IBM moved the family to Pennsylvania, and Long graduated high school there. Staying close to his new home, he attended Villanova University and graduated in1963 with a degree in political science.
Long¹s participation in the ROTC at Villanova earned him a commission as an ensign, and upon graduation he was on the path to a career in the United States Navy. Long served on the U.S.S. Chewaucan in the early 1960s. When he volunteered to serve in Vietnam, he did so, from 1967 - 1968 as part of a United States Marine unit He was a navigator on the U.S.S. Dewey. Long was discharged shorty after his return stateside.
The same year as his discharge, Long met Judy, a school teacher from Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the love of his life. They were married in 1969 and daughter Michelle was born in 1971.
After a successful stint as a salesman for Mobil Oil, Long missed the Navy so much, he re-enlisted. This time serving as a Navy recruiter, he and his family lived in Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, where Long was promoted to captain.
Long retired from his beloved Navy in 1987 and returned to Long Island. The family settled in Rockville Centre and he tried to settle on a second career. Long worked for a bond brokerage firm, until he ran into an old St. Raymond¹s friend who convinced Long to join him in the boat business. When the business filed bankruptcy, Long filed for unemployment, and was offered a job with the Department of Labor.
At the same time, Long became active in the Rockville Centre Republican Club and eventually began working in the Nassau County Legislature under then County Executive Tom Gulotta.
³He became Deputy Commissioner of General Services, and eventually special assistant to Gulotta,² said Judy.
The last two years of his life were spent as village clerk/treasurer for the Village of East Rockaway.
Just a year ago Long developed excrutiating pains in his stomach.
³Believe it or not, he looked up a doctor he remembered was an internist in the Navy,² said Judy. ³The diagnosis was Stage Four liver cancer. He died peacefully, at his home on May 18, surrounded by the things he loved most ‹ his wife, his daughter and his beagle Maggie, who was 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 the man, his seat will remain empty for the length of his term. Long was also a Republican Committeman for Rockville Centre, a member of the East Rockaway Republican Committee, past commander of the American Legion Post No. 303, past president retired from the Officer¹s Club of Long Island, 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. Kemeny¹s Pump Research Fund, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Attention: Dr. Nancy Kemeny, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10021.
