Anne Hickey Long

Anne Long was known for her unending kindness, willingness to help, love for her family, and compassion for others. Throughout her lifetime she was incredibly brave in the face of many set backs, had an amazing resilience, and unparalleled mental toughness.

Anne was born Eunice Anne Hickey on March 7, 1944 to Nathaniel Cheairs Hickey and Pheobe Jane Lane in Houston, Texas and was the youngest of five children with four older brothers (Nat, Joe, Austin, and Bobby). Her father, Nat Sr passed when she was 2, and she grew up in the Houston area, living with her mother and brothers. After her mother passed away, Anne moved in with her brother Joe and wife Faye when she was 16. Anne attended Deer Park High School and was editor of the Journalism Club, received the DAR Citizen Award, was a member in the National Honor Society, and voted Most Popular in her senior class. She graduated in 1962 and attended Stephen F. Austin University, completing 2 years of college.

On October 10, 1963 she married Richard Arthur Long who had recently been commissioned as an Officer in the Air Force. Following a short tour in Sacramento, California, they were assigned to Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. During this tour, she had her two children (Kenneth Sheridan Long on October 3, 1966 and Kelly Anne Long on June 27, 1968). Once Richard completed his service in the Air Force, the family moved back to Houston, Texas. In addition to raising her two children, Anne helped in supporting the family: When Richard had a distributorship delivering the Houston Post, Anne assisted by delivering the newspapers the next day that were inadvertently missed. She took on substitute teaching and held a permanent position as a PE teacher for a period of time. She worked as an administrative assistant at the University of Houston CLC. In 1979 she took a position as an Executive Administrative Assistant at the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, a position she held for 25 years. Upon retirement in 2004 she moved to Grapevine, Texas to live near her daughter, Kelly, and help care for her two grandchildren (Augustus Charles Matthews and Ethan Lane Matthews). She also had four grandchildren from Ken and Julie Long (Courtney Nicole Long, Nathan Thomas Long, Harrison Samuel Long, and Henry Sheridan Long).

Granne, as she was called by her grandchildren, was compassionate, caring, silly, and always available for her family on a moments notice. She deeply loved and was dedicated to her family including her many dogs and cats over her lifetime, especially Pepper and Annie. She always placed emphasis on having fun and playing with her grandchildren, whether it was playing board games, big cushions or willingly walking into a “Granne trap” set out for her. As cooking was not her forte, she wouldn’t hesitate to order a pizza with her grandchildren for a sleepover and movie night. She was a confidant for her children and grandchildren, sharing her experiences and sage wisdom. She had a deep, memorable laugh that would lighten the heart and was a bedrock, a solid presence, always for our family.

She passed away peacefully on October 3, 2024 after a four year battle with dementia. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.