Kevin Gregory Long, KHS, Ph.D.

KEVIN GREGORY LONG, KHS, PhD August 2, 1955 – August 19, 2014 Kevin Gregory Long was born in Hollywood (as he was fond of pointing out), California on August 2, 1955, the only child of Esther and James Long. For the first five years of his life he was raised by his loving grandmother, Esther Barney. He attended St. John Chrysostom elementary school in Inglewood and graduated from 8th grade there in 1969. He attended Serra High School for one year and then graduated from St. Bernard’s High School in Playa del Rey. It was here that he met Wally Wade, who became his teacher, mentor and friend. It was Wally who fanned the love of learning in Kevin and helped him to deepen and take his faith so seriously. In the spring of his senior year, he read an article in the Tidings by Erik von Kuenheldt-Ledin about Thomas Aquinas College, then only two years old. In it, he described the College as orthodox and serious about education. Kevin could not believe that such a place existed. In March of his senior year, he hopped into his Mustang and drove the 45 minutes up PCH to visit. He found there a “home”, the love of which carried him through the rest of his life. In the fall of 1973, Kevin joined the third class of students at Thomas Aquinas College. While there Kevin studied hard and spent many hours coaching and assisting his fellow students in their classes. He completely loved the school and the education he received. It was here that he met Martha and, two years after his graduation, they were married on June 30, 1979, the feast of the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, at St. Cecilia’s Church in San Francisco. Kevin continued his education first at Université Laval in Quebec where he earned a Master’s Degree in Philosophy. After his marriage he continued his studies at Claremont Graduate School and received his PhD in Government in 1986. During this time, he also taught philosophy for students in the St. Ignatius Institute at the University of San Francisco. Upon graduation, Kevin went to work as Director of Public Affairs for the Catholic League. After two years in Milwaukee, Kevin and Martha moved to Washington, DC. Here he worked at the Department of Education, first as a speechwriter for Ken Whitehead, Asst. Secretary for Post-Secondary Education, and then in other programs. He also taught for two years in the undergraduate philosophy department at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emittsburg. More recently, Kevin devoted his time to tutoring adult students in Latin, Logic, Philosophy, Theology, English as a Second Language – and any other subject one might request! He also volunteered with the National Park Service, the Library of Congress and most recently the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In 2005 Kevin was privileged to be invested as a Knight in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He faithfully joined his fellow Knights and Ladies in their efforts to work for the Holy Land. He leaves behind 22 nieces and nephews whom he loved greatly, four sisters-in-law (Anne, Mary, Joan and Laura), who were truly his sisters, his beloved mother-in-law, Jane Schaeffer, and his wife Martha whom he loved greatly. He was preceded in death by his beloved father-in-law, John Schaeffer. Kevin struggled with numerous illnesses over the years and bore them with great courage and grace. As many will remember, Kevin spent many years celebrating and promoting the beauty of the feast of Epiphany. He and Martha shared their devotion to Sts. Balthasar, Melchior and Gaspar with friends in every place they lived. This annual celebration of Epiphany always included the reading of the beautiful story he wrote called “The First Twelfthnight.” In the last few years, Kevin’s devotion to the saints expanded to include those saints he called the Holy Companions. Kevin wanted to spread devotion to these saints so often unnamed, but who were saints – St. Ursula and Companions, St. Maurice and Companions, St. Charles Lwanga and Companions and so many more. Not long ago he pointed out that even the saints whose feast we celebrate on June 30th, his and Martha’s wedding anniversary, really were “companions” – the unnamed martyrs. Kevin could leave no better legacy than for all of us to spread his devotion to the saints of the Epiphany and to the Holy Companions.