WILLIAM JERRY LONG

WILLIAM JERRY LONG Jerry Long, 79, died Thursday, August 11, 2011, at his home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. A memorial service will be held Saturday, October 22, 2011, at 1:30 P.M., at the Christian Church in the Elmdale Cemetery, Elmdale, Kansas. The Rev. Pat Ireland of the First Presbyterian Church, in Cottonwood Falls, will conduct the service. Inurnment will follow. William Jerry Long was born October 21, 1931, to Roy James and Francis Maurine Shumate Long, in Konawa, OK. Soon after Jerry’s birth, the family relocated to Pauls Valley, OK. where Jerry’s brother, Joseph Edward was born. However, tragedy soon struck when Roy died from a massive heart attack on December 12, 1939, the day before his 34th birthday. Following his death, Maurine and her sons lived with various family members while Maurine attended secretarial school in Oklahoma City. At a very young age, Jerry took on the responsibility of looking after his mother and youngest brother. As he matured, he earned money by mowing lawns and delivering newspapers. He was drafted into the U.S. Army on March 13, 1953, and completed basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. before being shipped over to South Korea to serve in the Korean War. Following the Korean War, Jerry was released from active military service and transferred to the Army Reserve to complete eight years of service under the Universal Military Training & Service Act. He was accepted, under the GI Bill, to attend the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering (with distinction) and he was a member of the Pi Epsilon Tau Honors Society.  Following college graduation, Jerry gained employment with Cities Service Gas & Oil and his family moved to Great Bend, KS.  Jerry’s technical and analytical skills were applied toward computer systems at Cities Service which began a long career in the computer and technology industry. Jerry held other positions at Cities Service in Bartlesville, OK. and Warren Petroleum in Tulsa, OK, before employment with IBM where he worked until retirement. IBM relocated Jerry and family to Ponca City, OK., where Jerry worked for eight years. During this time, Jerry became active in marketing of IBM computer system products with Conoco as his major account. While working with Conoco as a client, Jerry met Helen Caroline Dawson and the two dated for over two years before wedding on March, 10, 1973. Helen continued to work at Conoco for a total of 14 years, before the family moved to Germantown, TN. as part of an IBM job transfer. Following two years in Tennessee, Jerry, Helen, and Ann moved to Dallas, TX., where Jerry became an instructor in IBM’s Executive Briefing Program. After all of the kids were out of the household, Jerry and Helen took a three year assignment in Hong Kong where Jerry held the position as Program Manager in the IBM Data Systems Marketing group. During this assignment, Jerry and Helen traveled to numerous Asian destinations including Kaula Lumpur, Singpore, Thailand, Jakarta, India, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Japan. Jerry retired from IBM in 1989, after 23 years. Jerry and Helen retired at Grand Lake, OK., on a 20-acre property where Jerry could focus on his hobbies. Throughout his life, Jerry enjoyed buying and working on cars, fishing, hunting, traveling, snow and water skiing, and helping others. Jerry was a very dynamic individual and leaves behind a strong legacy including his wife, children and grandchildren: Mark Long and his wife, Terri, and their son, Matthew, and daughter, Emily, of Jenks, OK., Gary Long and his wife, Rebecca, and their son, Hunter, of Overland Park, KS.; and daughter, Mattie Ann Jones and her husband, Ben, and their son, Benjamin, of Mexia, TX.; and step-daughter, Ann Stokes and her husband, Lee, and daughter, Stephanie, and sons, Jordon and Tanner, of Andrews, TX. Jerry will be sorely missed by his family and friends. Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home, Cottonwood Falls, KS. is in charge of the arrangements. Messages to the family may be left at www.brown-bennett-alexander.com.

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