Maureen Long, 71, passed away unexpectedly on September 20. She is survived by her loving husband, Christopher, and children, Elizabeth (James) Lange and Matt (Rachel) Long. Maureen had five grandchildren, Julia and Kristen Lange, and Brooke, Paige and Colton Long, who she loved dearly and spent lots of time traveling between Milwaukee and Dallas to visit with them.
Maureen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She went to school at NYU where she studied teaching. Upon graduating, she decided instead to pursue a career on Wall Street in Human Resources, where she worked until Elizabeth was born. Maureen met Chris one night at a nightclub when she was out with a girlfriend. Chris knew that night that Maureen would be the girl he would marry and they wed on January 2, 1978.
Chris' career took them and their children from Long Island, NY, to Springfield, IL, finally settling down in St Louis, MO, where they lived for almost 30 years until retirement brought them to Longboat Key, Florida, in 2018. They had traveled down to Longboat Key since the early 1990's, which was a very special place for them. They really enjoyed life on the beach and would frequently toast the sunset with martinis.
Maureen was the family's glue keeping everything running smoothly in day to day life. When Elizabeth and Matt were older she worked part-time at a preschool where she loved working with the little kids. The part-time schedule gave her lots of time to travel, which gave her great excitement. She especially loved cruising. Many of their travels came with experiences that pushed Maureen out of her comfort zone-from zip lining in Costa Rica to a helmet dive in the Caribbean and a hot air balloon ride in the open sky.
Maureen had such a vivacious personality, was a great listener and always smiling. She had a great excitement for life and her family. Maureen knew how to bring joy and comfort to everyone she met. She will be greatly missed by family and friends all over the country.
A memorial service is being planned for the weekend of November 11-12 in St Louis, MO, to celebrate Maureen's life. Please contact Elizabeth at jelange24@gmail.com for details. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Circus Arts Conservatory of Sarasota (www.circusarts.org) and remember to cheers and celebrate life everyday like Maureen did.
