Richard D. Long

Richard D. Long, age 90, passed away peacefully on the afternoon of December 31st in his home with his wife, daughter, and close family friend present.  Richard was born on June 6th, 1927 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Alma, his five siblings and his son, John R. Long.  He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Helen, his daughter Nelli Calame, and his two grandchildren, Niki and Dima Calame, all of whom reside in Placitas, NM.  He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

 Richard lived a full and wonderful life, filled with family, friends and travel.   Richard was the youngest of six children.  He was raised in Toronto, Canada as his mother moved the family there to live and work near her parents, as Richard’s father passed away just before Richard’s birth.  At the age of 15, the family returned to the USA, settling in Forest Hills, New York.  Richard was a Private in the US Army from August of 1945 until his honorable discharge in January of 1947.  Richard attended North Carolina State University on the GI Bill.  Richard met his wife Helen in Forest Hills, and they were married on September 4th, 1954.  Richard began working for Quaker Industries of Antioch, Illinois in 1956, starting as a traveling salesman for the state of New York.  He moved the family to Illinois in 1962, residing in the Lake Bluff/Lake Forrest communities.   He worked his way up to become National Sales Manager of Quaker, eventually bought the company to become CEO, and retired at 61 years old.   Helen & Richard moved full time to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1988 to be near family.  Besides his family, his passions were golf, playing bridge, cruising and the stock market.  Richard and Helen lived in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2001 to 2006.

 Richard and Helen relocated to Placitas, New Mexico in 2006 with the arrival of their two grandchildren.   Richard’s grandchildren were the light of his life.  He saw them frequently for family dinners, walking the dog, shopping adventures as well as vacationing together by introducing them to the world of cruising. 

 Richard had such a generous spirit and was always interested in people.   He could talk to anyone about anything, always making the person feel special.  He was a good listener, he could tell a great story and he loved to laugh.  His counsel was sought by many and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

 There will be a celebration of his life announced at a later date. 

 In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Pathways Academy, 1776 Montano Road NW, Ranchos de Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107, where his grandson attends school.  Pathways Academy is a private non-profit school for children grades K-12.  Their mission is to provide a loving, nurturing, and learning environment for children with learning differences and emotional challenges that maximizes each child’s opportunities to succeed both academically and socially. 

Daniels Family Funeral Services

7601 Wyoming Blvd NE

Albuquerque, NM 87109

505-821-0010