Harold Thomas Long

HAROLD “JACK” LONG, 93, PASSED AWAY WITH HIS WIFE LINDA BY HIS SIDE ON THE MORNING OF MARCH 21, 2024. FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, JACK LIVED AT THE VETERANS HOME IN TILTON NH WITH AN AMAZING TEAM OF CAREGIVERS AND VETERANS. HE WAS HONORED WITH “THE LAST SALUTE” BY MANY NHVH STAFF & FELLOW VETERANS.
JACK LONG WAS BORN ON JULY 24,1930 IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, THE ONLY CHILD TO LUCILLE (SPAIGHT) & WEBSTER LONG. HE ATTENDED SCHOOL IN KANSAS CITY AND WAS TAUGHT BY THE BROTHERS AT ST. ALLOYISIOUS HIGH SCHOOL. THERE HE ACHIEVED A FULL FOOTBALL COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP. BUT JACK CHOSE TO ENTER THE US NAVY AT THIS EARLY AGE TO HELP SUPPORT HIS WIDOWED MOM. HIS NAVY DAYS PRODUCED COUNTLESS STORIES AS A MEMBER OF THE “GREATEST GENERATION” ABOARD THE USS TARAWA – WHERE HE SPENT TIME AS A WEATHERMAN & NAVIGATOR, STATIONED IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, HAWAII, VIRGINIA AND LASTLY IN MAINE.
WHILE JACK WAS STATIONED AT THE BRUNSWICK NAVAL AIR STATION, HE MET HIS 1st WIFE, LILLIAN (LARRIVEE). AFTER LEAVING THE SERVICE, HE AND LILLIAN GOT MARRIED AND MADE LEWISTON, MAINE THEIR HOME WHERE THEIR FAMILY GREW LOVINGLY WITH 4 CHILDREN. JACK WORKED MOSTLY IN THE RETAIL CLOTHING BUSINESS WHICH INCLUDED LOUIE’S CLOTHING, EDWARDS CLOTHING AND THE BRASS RAIL, ALL ON LISBON ST IN LEWISTON.
JACK GREATLY TREASURED HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS. HE LOVED AND PROTECTED THEM LIKE A LION. HE HAD AMAZING INTEGRITY & RESPECT FOR EVERYONE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND RAISED ALL OF HIS CHILDREN WITH THE SAME VALUES.
IN 1996, JACK AND LILLIAN MOVED TO MILFORD, NH TO BE CLOSER TO CHILDREN AND GRANDCHIDREN. HE WORKED AS A SAFETY OFFICER FOR MERIDIAN CONSTRUCTION IN GILFORD, NH WHILE LILLIAN HELPED WITH AFTERSCHOOL CARE. JACK AND LILLIAN, AKA “FRED & GINGER,” LOVED DANCING! THEY WERE SO GOOD EVERYONE WOULD CLEAR THE DANCE FLOOR AND CHEER THEM ON.
AFTER 55 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, LILLIAN PASSED AWAY AFTER A LONG ILLNESS. EVENTUALLY, JACK, 81 YRS YOUNG, WAS FORTUNATE TO FIND LOVE AND COMPANIONSHIP AGAIN WITH LINDA SHASTANY, AND IN 2011, THEY WERE MARRIED.
JACK LEAVES BEHIND HIS WIFE LINDA, HIS CHILDREN: CAROL (PHIL) LAURENDEAU, DENNIS LONG, GILDA STIGLIANO, AND TIM (MEHRNAZ) LONG. HIS 8 GRANDCHILDREN: KEVIN (MARISA) LAURENDEAU, KELLIE (DANE) MANRRIQUEZ, KRISTEN (RICHARD) OBRIEN, JASON (ALLISON) LONG, JESSICA LONG, KYLE (BIANCA) LONG, CASSANDRA (TONY) MAGHAMI, AND LEAH STIGLIANO - HIS 9 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN: EMILIE & AIDEN LAURENDEAU, NOAH CARDONA, LIAM GRIFFEY, BELLA & WILLIAM LONG, LILLIAN & DONOVAN OBRIEN AND EVERETT STIGLIANO. HE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND HIS BIL & SIL BOB & RACHEL LARRIVEE, SIL DOLORES LARRIVEE AND MANY COUSINS, NIECES & NEPHEWS NEAR AND FAR. ALSO LEFT BEHIND ARE HIS EXTENDED FAMILY CHILDREN OF LINDA LONG: TOMMY, PAM & STEVE.
WE’LL REMEMBER JACK FOR HIS DELIGHTFUL CHARACTER. HE LOVED TO DANCE, SING IRISH SONGS, GO ON PICNICS, SIP IRISH WISKEY, TAKE LONG SUNDAY DRIVES VISITING FAMILY IN QUEBEC ON A SUNDAY WAS NOT UNCOMMON), PUPPIES AND BABIES. HE WAS A KIND, HARD WORKING MAN AND BELIEVED HIS WORD AND A HANDSHAKE WAS HIS CONTRACT. JACK LONG NOW JOINS A HEAVENLY FAMILY OF HIS MOM & DAD, WIFE LILLIAN, MOTHER AND FATHER-IN-LAW EMILE & IMELDA LARRIVEE, REGINALD LARRIVEE (BIL), HIS CALIFORNIA & KANSAS CITY UNCLES, AUNTS AND MANY COUSINS.
HEARTFELT THANKS GO TO THE STAFF AT THE VA HOME IN TILTON, NH WHERE JACK RECEIVED QUALITY CARE.
SERVICES AND CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL BE HELD AT ST. PETER’S CEMETERY MAUSOLEUM ON JULY 24, 2024.
Paquette-Neun Funeral Home in Northfield, NH is assisting with arrangements. For an online guestbook, please visit www.neunfuneralhomes.com