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Richard S. Long, 99, of Orange City, Florida, passed away on Wednesday, November 6 with his family gathered around him.

Born in Readsboro, Vermont on May 26, 1925, Dick was the only child of John and Ruth Carpenter. He grew up on North Hill in Readsboro where he lived in a farmhouse with his maternal uncle and aunt, Lee and Gertie Carpenter, and his cousins Doug and Barbara Carpenter, as well as his parents and his maternal grandparents, Cyrus and Cornelia Carpenter. He graduated high school from Arms Academy in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, in 1942 after working every summer on a section gang for the local railroad.

During the war he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on a submarine at Midway Island. After the war he earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont, where he met and married Emma Jane Smith, his life-long partner of 73 years and the mother of their four children. In 1958 Dick started his career in the Newark office of New York Life Insurance Company as a field agent. By 1965 he had become the general manager of NYLIC’s Peachtree office in Atlanta, Georgia, which quadrupled in size during his 7-year tenure. Thereafter he managed offices in Miami, Florida, and Greenville, South Carolina. Dick’s success stemmed from his belief in providing for the future security of oneself and one’s family. Dick taught classes in estate planning, pension planning, and advanced underwriting. When he retired at age 63 in 1989, he had received numerous awards and earned the respect of those who worked under his supervision.

Dick’s record of community service included a term as President of the Sertoma Club in Atlanta; serving as Budget Chairman, President of the Congregation, and Trustee for Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in Greenville; and serving as Vice-President in charge of fund-raising for United Ministries.

After retiring to Tryon, Dick and Jane became active members of Tryon Congregational Church. Dick volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, which included a six-year stint as manager of the Habitat store in Landrum, North Carolina, and assisted Jane with Meals on Wheels. He regularly donated to organizations like Sunflower County Freedom Project of Mississippi and the Organization for the Development of Indigenous Maya of Guatemala.

Inspired by a Christian faith that flourished in Greenville and Tryon, Dick came to believe that the things he did to help others outweighed his professional achievements. Dick distinguished himself as a faithful and loving husband, a good-humored patriarch of his extended family, an avid reader with an inquisitive mind, a Life Master bridge player, an accomplished golfer, and a dedicated Red Sox fan from the cradle to the grave. His strong suit was the positivity with which he faced life’s challenges, which made him a source of encouragement to all who knew and loved him.

He is survived by sons Richard Long (Maria), David Long (Susan); daughters, Susan Raines (Marshall) and Martha Soper (Jack); his grandchildren Alison (Jim), Rachel, Wendy (Shane), Mike, Katie (Grant), and Nick (Becca); and his great- grandchildren Natalie (Chase), Olivia, Jake, Michael, Katie, Zella, Emma, and Aster.

A Memorial Service will be held at Tryon Congregational Church on December 14 at 3:00 p.m. with Reverend Meghan Young presiding.

 

Submitted by Marti Soper