Justus Jess Andrew Long

Jess Long, 65, passed away suddenly on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at his home in Falls Church, Virginia.

Justus Andrew Long was born on May 28, 1946 to Justus J. and Margaret Long. He is survived by his wife (Joyce), sons (Jason and Jeremy), daughter-in-law (Trish), and cats (Tori and Reesey).

Jess and Joyce got married on May 25, 1974 in Baltimore City, MD. On May 1, 1978, they had their first child, Jason, and on February 19, 1985, their second son, Jeremy, was born. On June 18, 2011, Jess was happy to witness the marrying of his son, Jason.

Jess was an avid and talented bowling fanatic and played on Monday and Wednesday nights with members of his American Legion post. His first passion was caring for his family. He devoted many years to driving Jeremy to and from work, preparing meals for the family, and taking Joyce to doctor’s appointments in between her frequent hospital visits. Jess also had a strong love for the family’s two cats and enjoyed taking care of them as well. Jess was a wonderful father to Jason and Jeremy, and a supportive husband to Joyce. He was passionate about caring for his family (including their two cats), bowling with his league on Mondays and Wednesdays, the American Legion, wine, chocolate cake, and the not-too-fabulous Nationals. Not only will we miss his presence, but also his wit, sarcasm, and indescribable love. We miss him terribly and we know that we have some huge shoes to fill (seriously, he was 6'4").

Jess was a member of the Towson Junior Chamber (also known as the Jaycees)- an organization comprised of young, active citizens ages 18-40 who believe that in order to create positive change, they have to first take collective action to improve ourselves and the world around them. Jess gained leadership traits and did extensive community service. His most favored memory of working with the organization was playing a “monster” in one of their yearly haunted houses. He was also a longtime, active member of the American Legion (Annandale Post)- During trips to the grocery store, he often made stops at the Post and was known as a very sweet, kindhearted, and lovable man. One of his favorite affiliations with the Post was being a part of their Monday and Wednesday night bowling teams. Jess was an avid and very talented bowler, and enjoyed every minute of his Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Jess served his county in the United States Army where he was drafted after finishing his years at college and was stationed in Munich, Germany during the Vietnam War. His favorite part of being in the Army was how much he was able to travel and enjoyed seeing many countries during his three years of service.

Jess attended Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, MD and later graduated from Loyola University Maryland with a B.A. in Business.