Lela Lucille Long

Lela Lucille (Claus) Long, 97, passed away peacefully the morning of March 26, 2025, with her daughter Carol by her side, with whom she had lived for the previous 16 months. She remained fully engaged in life right up to her final day, enjoying her daily routine of watching the news, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy, as well as spending time outdoors relishing the fresh air and sunshine. Just the weekend prior, she enjoyed visits from grandchildren and friends.

Born on January 15, 1928, in Lewisville, Ohio, Lela was the youngest daughter of Lydia (Riemenschneider) Claus and Everett Claus. She grew up on an 88-acre dairy farm, with her older siblings Wilma, Elmer, and Harold, all of whom preceded her in death, as did her infant brother Calvin. She was appreciative and proud of her father for building a cistern under their porch and figuring out how to generate power in their basement, bringing the novelty of plumbing to their rural home in the 1920s.

After graduating high school in 1945, Lela moved to Canton, Ohio, where her parents had also relocated. She worked a few years in the office at Diebold, where she met and later married Ernest Leslie Long on January 22, 1949. They moved to rural Louisville, Ohio, in 1953 “because she didn’t want to raise her children in the city”. They had three children: Carol Lynne Cooper (late husband Roger), Randal James Long (wife Sarah), and Cathy Lorraine Long. Lela returned to work at Union Metal, in Canton, Ohio from the early 1960s until 1977. Subsequently, she owned and operated Rainbow Plastics, a sign-making business. In 1997 Lela moved to Clearwater, Florida, appreciating the year-round warm weather and proximity to her grandchildren in Tampa—Thomas, Samantha, and Kelsey Cooper, and in Oviedo—Braden Long.

She was known affectionately as “Grandma Lee” to abundant family and friends - young children to adults. She approached life with a keen mind, wit and a sense of fun that endeared her to all who knew her. She also had a deep and enduring love for animals, beginning with her childhood dog Trixie, and continuing through the decades with her two toy poodles in the 1960s, her gentle St. Bernard Yogi in the 1970s, and her cherished snuggle-cat Susie.

She believed that no dinner was complete without dessert, and was known for contributing her special cherry cheesecake, fingerprint cookies, and apple dumplings to family gatherings.

Not long after moving to the Top of the World community in Clearwater, she met Frank Sardone at a lunch social. They quickly connected over a shared love of poker and family, and were devoted companions until his passing in 2018.

Lela was a sharp and lucky card player, enjoying weekly poker games with friends for many years, while she was just as happy playing a game of War, Black Jack or Go Fish with her grandchildren. She loved penny slot machines, especially in Las Vegas. Faithful to her weekly bingo games for nearly 50 years, she won more than her fair share of jackpots. And, there were many fun days at the horse track.

Her ashes will be interred at Forest Hill Cemetery in North Canton, Ohio, on July 28, 2025, beside her parents and siblings.