Donna Cashwell Long

Donna was born September 20, 1941, in Charleston, South Carolina, to John Whitford Cashwell and Molly Reo Baker Cashwell. She attended North Greenville Baptist College, where she earned an associate’s degree in Secretarial Studies. In 1964, she married Edwin Dean Long. They moved to Spartanburg in 1971, where they raised their two children, Kevin and Amy, and made their home together for more than five decades until Ed’s death in 2016.

Donna stayed home with Kevin and Amy when they were young, returning to work when Amy entered the fifth grade. She joined Cliffdale Elementary School as a teacher’s aide, beginning a 31-year career devoted to children.

Long before the word “neurodivergent” was part of everyday vocabulary, Donna had a gift for recognizing children who needed a little more time, a different explanation, or simply someone who believed they could learn. Teachers frequently asked her to work with students who were struggling, and without specialized training or fanfare, she taught generations of children the fundamentals of reading and math.

Her care for children extended well beyond the school day. Donna also directed Cliffdale’s after-school program. She wrote the grants that funded it, hired and managed the staff, planned activities, provided snacks and worked directly with the children herself. She saw what needed doing and did it.

That was true at home as well. Donna showed her love by taking care of people. She served as a leader for both Kevin’s Boy Scout troop and Amy’s Girl Scout troop, good-naturedly suffering through more than her share of camping trips. The family pop-up camper was cleaned, stocked and made ready by Donna for trips to the beach and stays at KOAs. Family life was filled with trips to Carowinds, drives through the mountains, days at the beach, and long summer afternoons at the pool.

As her children grew, Donna and Edwin kept showing up. They traveled to Amy’s music festivals and were there for the important occasions during Kevin’s years at the Citadel. Music lessons, sports equipment, and many of the opportunities their children enjoyed were possible because their parents quietly sacrificed to provide them. Later, Donna gave that same devoted care to her own parents as they grew older.

Donna’s hospitality was legendary. She had a remarkable eye for interior decoration, loved beautiful clothes, and believed in being prepared to welcome people as well. When her family eventually cleaned out her home, they discovered what might have been a lifetime supply of patterned paper napkins, a seemingly endless collection of brass candlesticks, and closets full of beautiful clothing. To those who knew Donna, none of this was particularly surprising. She knew how to make things beautiful, how to set a welcoming table, and how to make an occasion feel special.

Donna also had a wonderfully sassy sense of humor. She loved teasing and being teased in return; in fact, you could generally tell she liked you if she gave you a hard time. Kevin knew this better than most and had the particular gift of being able to make his mother laugh even when she was mad at him-sometimes despite her best efforts not to.

To her six grandchildren, Donna was “Nona.” Her love for them was often expressed in the same practical ways she had always cared for her family: washing a load of laundry, doing the dishes, or arriving with another cute outfit she simply could not resist buying for one of her grandchildren. For Donna, love was very often something you did.

Raised in the Southern Baptist tradition, Donna was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Spartanburg. She was active in her Sunday school class and treasured the friendships of her group of retired teachers and a wide circle of friends. Her faith was an enduring part of her life and was reflected in the way she cared for others. Donna did not have much patience for foolishness, but she had a tender heart for those in need. Whether it was a child struggling in school, aging parents who needed care, family who needed looking after, Donna made room at the table.

Donna was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin Dean Long, and her parents. She is survived by her sister, Cheryl Cashwell Rourk; her children, Kevin Long and Amy Kniffen (Tony); and her six grandchildren, Kyle, Katelyn and Luke Long, and Jason, Evelyn and Kathryn Kniffen.

A memorial service celebrating Donna’s life will be held Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, 250 East Main Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Bridge at Green Street, a ministry of First Baptist Spartanburg.

Donna leaves behind a family who loved her deeply, friendships gathered over a lifetime, and generations of children whose lives were changed because Mrs. Long took the time to sit beside them and help. Her family grieves the empty place her absence leaves, but does so with profound gratitude for the life she lived and with the hope of heaven.