Wilma Genevieve Long

Wilma G.Long, Owner and President of Lakewood Travel Agencies Inc. passed away on Tuesday, November 6th at her home in Lakewood, she was 92.

Wilma was born in Gresham, Nebraska to Ada and William “W.G.” Hills. Her father was in the oil, land and cattle business, her mother was a school teacher. Wilma worked most of the time as a young girl with her father, serving as a personal assistant in his business, keeping the company’s books, handling many of the financialtransactions and helping to run the company. Wilma went on to college at Nebraska Wesleyan University where she received her BFA degree in Music. Her love for the arts, particularly music, never waned. Her true calling was in business.

Wilma married Richard Long, her husband of 31 years, in 1945. They moved to the Denver area in 1958 to manage the family’s oil business. The Longs purchased Lakewood Travel, a two-person travel agency located on West Colfax. Lakewood Travel, under Wilma’s leadership, grew and flourished, quickly becoming an agency of nearly seventy employees with multi million dollar annual sales and prestigious international travel affiliations. Amongst her many accolades, Wilma was the first person in Colorado to receive CTC status, “Certified Travel Consultant”, in 1976. Wilma was also elected into the former Continental Airlines Hall of Fame in 1978 as Travel Agent of the Year, Frontier Airlines top awards for performance and Lakewood Travel received Top 20 Awards from United Airlines. After redefining travel standards of excellence, Wilma ended her brilliant career selling Lakewood Travel to American Express Travel in 1984.

Wilma served on countless boards in the Denver area over the years including United Bank of Lakewood,Villa Merchants Association, the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, the Colorado Philharmonic and the Woodside Group of Travel Agencies.

Flags were flying half- mast at The Lakewood Country Club on Tuesday where Wilma was a long time member.

Richard Long passed away in 1976. Wilma is survived by her three children, Sherry Long, Leslie (Butch) Hosmer and Billy (Lisa) Long, her twograndsons Austin and Colbourne, her long time partner and best friend Bart Hegarty, his children and grandchildren. Wilma also leaves behind her beloved “grand dogs” Cowgirl and Finn.

Contact:

Sherry Long, [email protected] , 970-456-8896

Lisa Johnson, [email protected], 970-343-9527

Billy Long

970 948.1333