Roger D. Long

Roger D. Long made his entrance into this world on March 03, 1959, in Joplin, Missouri. On January 22, 2026, he said goodbye to his family and left the earth after a nearly six-year battle with lung disease. A stranger to no one, Roger grew up in Independence, Missouri, playing baseball, singing in church, and playing both the trumpet and French horn. A talented individual, he knocked us all out with his voice and, in the case of his little brother, Ricky, his curveball as well.

In 1977, Roger graduated from William Chrisman High School. With multiple offers from different institutions to play baseball or sing, he decided to take his fate into his own hands and enter the world of sales. Working in sales, in some capacity, for his entire career. During the last several years, he worked at REMAX Premier Properties as a Realtor, helping many, including several nieces and nephews, find their homes.

As a young adult, Roger gave back to the youth as a girls AAU basketball coach. He coached the KC Express team, which included his little sister, Rochelle. He loved helping the players grow as people, and in the case of his sister, he did this by adding about two more inches to her height than any doctor ever did. His enthusiasm for sports continued as a fan cheering for Missouri baseball, basketball, and football teams at the collegiate and professional levels, especially the Chiefs whose games he rarely missed.

Roger’s love of music combined naturally with his faith; he shared his beautiful voice singing solos at several churches where he worshipped and even served as a minister of music. Most recently, Roger was an active member of The Church of the Resurrection Liberty location with his wife, Maggie, of 17 years.

Roger will be greatly missed by his family and friends. We’ll miss his laugh, his smile, his humor, and most of all, his wonderful heart.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd G. Long & Edith T. (née Sneed) Long, his youngest brother, Rodney Long; father-in-law Sam Briscoe, and both sets of grandparents.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret (Maggie) Long of the home and step-son, Mark Baumgartner of Huntsville, Alabama. Roger also leaves behind his siblings, Ricky (Linda) Long of Lone Jack, Missouri and Rochelle (Rodney) Stoddard of Independence, Missouri; brothers-in law, Tom (Stephanie) Briscoe of Houston, Texas and Pat (Annie) Briscoe of Liberty, Missouri; sister-in-law, Katie Maggio (Jason Burgess) of Cape Coral, Florida; and a slew of nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to his favorite charity’s, Mimi’s Pantry, 2255 NW Vivion Rd., Riverside, MO 64150 OR https://www.mimispantrykc.org and Children’s Miracle Network https://cmn.org.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Road, Gladstone, MO 64119, with funeral services following at 2PM.