Myra Long dies at 91

Myra Long, the mother of Bay Ridge political powerhouse MichaelLong – the chairperson of the New York State Conservative Party –has died at the age of 91. The cause of death was cancer, accordingto her son, Tom Long.

Long is survived by her husband, Michael, and her two sons, 13grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and one great, greatgrandchild.

Long died 10 days shy of her 73rd wedding anniversary. The lifelongNew Yorker married her childhood sweetheart in Bushwick in 1938.The couple returned to Queens, the borough where they raised theirtwo boys, in 1998, following two decades spent upstate in DoverPlains.

She was a lovely woman, remarked Fran Vella-Marrone, the vicechairperson of the Kings County Conservative Party. She lived afull life. Referencing Long’s seven decades of marriage,Vella-Marrone added, In and of itself, that level of commitmenttells you something.

Tom Long remembers his mother as a strong-willed woman whoinstilled in her children the value of hard work.

She taught my brother and me the lessons of life and what we hadto do to succeed, he said fondly. We always had to try our bestno matter what we did. She told us to do our best and everythingwould work out.

Long worked as a supervisor at Blue Cross Blue Shield for 25 yearsbefore retiring in 1980. Although Tom chuckles when he recalls hismother’s strictness, it is her sweetness he feels will live on inthe memories of those whose lives she touched.

She would do anything to help us, he said. That’s how she’ll beremembered. That’s how each of us will remember her.