Robert Long Obituary

Robert Hargrave Long, age 93, passed away peacefully on November 17, 2011 at Cape Coral Hospital in Cape Coral, Florida. Born March 7, 1918, in Chicago, Illinois, he was the son of the late Hargrave and Marion Thornton Long. A native Chicagoan, Bob graduated from Evanston Township High School. This talented athlete and scholar went on to graduate from Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN with Phi Beta Kappa Honors and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Later, he did graduate work at Harvard Business School and Northwestern University. During WWII, he served in the Navy, from December 1942 to early 1946 as an officer on the USS Hidalgo AK-189. After the Navy, Bob returned to the Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago in a career that spanned five decades, retiring as senior vice president and deputy head of the trust department. A hardworking and tireless leader, Bob assisted numerous civic organizations bringing his strong financial strengths, including serving as Elmhurst, IL city treasurer for 16 years and as a member of the board of trustees of Wabash College. Bob was a respected leader of men, with a strong sense of integrity and a positive spirit. Bob will always be remembered as a generous philanthropist and loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend. He will be deeply missed. Two loving wives, Florence (nee Rittmueller) and Winifred (nee Hays) preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Edward and long-time companion, Lucia Anderson. He is survived by his sons, Robert Jr. and wife Cathy of Lake Bluff, IL, Douglas and wife Kathy of Verona, NJ; grandchildren Robert Holland and Jennifer, Erik and wife Sarah and their sons, his great-grandsons Alex and Caden; one dear sister, Janice Welty, a loyal brother-in-law, James Welty and caring sister-in-law, Phyllis (nee Brothers); numerous nieces and nephews; and many other loving family members and friends. A Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:00 pm at Gulf Coast Village, located at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. in Cape Coral, FL. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Wabash College, Attn: Rhonda Maynor, P. O. Box 352, Crawfordsville, IN 47933-9988.