Will Long, known by some as the consummate “Southern gentleman farmer,” passed away Saturday after suffering a head injury.
His daughter, Jenny Long, said he was taken to the hospital after a head injury, but the injury coupled with a blood disorder could not be treated in time.
Mr. Long was 67.
Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Mr. Long's farm, Longshot Plantation near Teoc. Visitation will be at 2 p.m. at the family home. Wilson and Knight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
“My father was a loyal and a loving man,” Jenny said. “He was a man with a huge heart who always put his daughter first.”
She said he took his responsibilities seriously.
“He believed in honesty, a sense of truth, and a sense of caring,” she said. “He was a member of the community and really tried to be a part of it.”
Mr. Long was very involved in service to the community. He was a member of the Rotary Club and served as its song leader.
He also was a lover of the arts, serving as a board member at large of Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters as well as the board of Cottonlandia Museum.
Luke Schissel, a fellow Rotarian, said Mr. Long was concerned about farming issues as well. He served on various regulatory boards and worked hard for farmers, Schissel said.
“He was just someone that everyone knew,” Schissel said. “He was the sort of individual that was always visiting and interacting with other people.”
Schissel, who worked with Mr. Long on the Cottonlandia board and had known him for about 40 years, said he was shocked to hear of his death.
“I had seen that he was weakening,” Schissel said. “Monday he was looking a little unsteady on his feet when he went to greet our speaker. I knew he had been ill, and I had been fearful of his medical condition for some time.”
He said Mr. Long was “generally well thought of” throughout the community and would truly be missed.
“Frankly, he was just a really great character,” Schissel said. “He had a real talent for telling stories.”
Mr. Long’s humorous summations of the past year were annually anticipated at the Rotary Club. Schissel said the club was already planning to create a collection of his speeches.
Floyd Melton III, president of the Rotary Club, said Mr. Long was an all-around great man who cared about the community.
“His Christmas addresses were always wonderful,” Melton said. “Anything that the Rotary did, he was always there to do his part.”
Mr. Long had served in the U.S. Army, was a member of the Honor Guard and trained troops for the Vietnam War after graduation from the School of the Americas.
“He was very proud of that, being able to train soldiers to fight for their country,” his daughter said.
She said he even trained future general Tommy Franks, who mentions him in a recent book. Franks led the U.S. attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Mr. Long attended The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., and graduated from Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. He is survived by two brothers, J Andrew Long and Luther Allen Long.
•Contact Taylor Kuykendall at tkuykendall@gwcommonwealth.com.
