I write to share with you today the sad news of the death of Professor Emeritus of Mathematics Richard Long. Professor Long passed away Dec. 21, 2009 in Sun City, Ariz., after a lengthy illness. He was 78 years old.
Professor Long joined the Lawrence faculty in 1969 and taught in the mathematics department until his retirement in 1993. Described by colleagues as a quiet, gentle, generous, unassuming person, he was one of the founding fathers of Lawrence’s computer science program, was among the first to teach Lawrence’s statistics course, and was particularly encouraging of mathematics students in the actuarial sciences.
He was respected for his extraordinary patience, support, and nurturing of students as well as his innovative efforts to introduce the application of mathematics across the curriculum. In the 1970s, he established math workshops for Lawrentians and worked with minority students in summer enrichment programs. He was well-known for his extraordinary ability to connect with diverse personalities and nontraditional learners.
Prior to joining the Lawrence faculty, Professor Long taught mathematics for eight years at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., and later spent four years in a variety of leadership roles with the Math Association of America, where he oversaw the production of a number of mathematics films.
A native of Dallas, Iowa, he attended Grand View Junior College in Des Moines, Iowa before earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Reed College and his Ph.D. in mathematics at the University of Washington.
In retirement, he split his time between a cottage on Lake Superior in Marquette, Mich., and Sun City, Ariz., pursuing his many and varied interests, among them bow hunting, golf, genealogy, gem cutting, pottery, and woodworking.
He is survived by his wife, Gretchen; sons Christopher, Albuquerque, N.M., and Timothy, ’83 Appleton; daughters Gillian Phelps, Albuquerque, and Hillary Long Villa, Thousands Oaks, Calif.; and stepchildren Tim Lutey, Christine Lutey, and Phil Lutey, all of Marquette, Mich.
Contributions in Professor Long’s memory can be made to the Hospice of the Valley, 10323 W. Olive Ave., Peoria, AZ 85345.
Sincerely,
David Burrows
