John J. Long

January 12, 1945 - February 9, 2021

Born in Scart, Knocknagoshel, Co. Kerry, Ireland to the late Denis and Eily, the third of 8 children, died February 9, 2021 in Boynton Beach, Florida at 76 years old. John Joe was surely welcomed home by his older brother Jer, who just recently passed; the two brothers were as ‘thick as thieves’ as children, and all of the Longs are comforted to know that they are reunited and probably stirring up a bit of trouble already! A proud Kerryman, John left home following his older sister Mary to NYC in 1963 with just a few dollars in his pocket. He worked away, playing football at Gaelic Park and having some craic around town at the likes of the Red Mill, making friends with everyone he met along the way, including his future brother-in-laws, Martin and Larry Dollard which led to John meeting his wife of 46 years when Jane landed at JFK in 1971. John and Jane built a life together - leaving the Bronx for a brief stint in Poughkeepsie and then back down to Queens to ease John’s commute to Manhattan for his job with Local 608 Carpenters Union. As the family grew to 4 children, they moved out to Holbrook, Long Island and John commuted an hour and half each way working in World Trade Center for most of his career. He instilled a strong work-ethic in his children and was immensely proud of the life and family he and Jane built together in NY. Once he finally retired, they returned to Queens and began spending the winters in Florida. To everyone’s surprise, himself included, John really took to the Florida-life and was always racing out the door to their home in Sterling Village as soon as Thanksgiving dinner was finished! Anyone who knew him would say he was ‘the nicest man you’d ever meet’, a ‘sound fella’, always welcoming and quick to share a funny story or an inappropriate joke just to get a laugh. And, more likely than not, at some point in your life he ‘took the piss’ out of you as riling people up was his favorite past-time! When you remember John, remember that mischievous grin and some dirty joke he told you – that is all he wanted in life for himself, his family and his friends, just to be happy and have a laugh. John’s kind heart and gentle soul will be sorely missed by his loving wife, Jane, children, Patrick, Kate, Sarah and Sean, son-in-law, Mike, daughter-in-law, Maggie and grandchildren, Aoife, Fallon, Maeve, Evelyn, Roisín, Teagan and Patrick, brothers, Albert, Mike and Mossie, sisters, Mary, Kathleen, and Noreen, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. A small service will be held Friday, February 12, 2021 at 11am at Scobee-Combs-Bowden Funeral Home, 599 N.E. 15th Avenue, Boynton Beach FL 33435 subject COVID regulations (masks must be worn). Another memorial service will be held in New York at a later date. For friends and family that are not able to attend, the service will be streamed at the following link: https://www.twitch.tv/TheLongFamily In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation: https://tunnel2towers.org/