Kenneth J. Long of Hewitt passed away Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. He was 72.
Born in Manahttan to the late John and Eleanor (Geen) Long, he was a resident of Hewitt for the past 57 years.
Ken was a retired iron worker with Local 46 Lathers in New York City. He could tell you every building that he worked in around the city. Whether it was Louis Vuitton or Bloomberg, Ken had a story about each location as well as the scoop on where to park in any part of the city.
After retiring, he took up fly fishing and made a number of trips to Roscoe, N.Y., to try and get the big ones! Always the outdoorsman, he was a longtime member of the Warwick Valley Rod & Gun Club. He was very involved in the club’s annual kid’s day event. Seeing the kids have such memorable days on the streams made him very happy.
Ken was a passionate New York Giants fan and could often be seen wearing his Giants gear. He never had a soft spot for the “other” team although they shared a stadium!
Ken was very interested in cooking and every recipe seemed to include Worcestershire sauce! That was his special ingredient. He would see interesting dishes on the cooking channels and whip them up. It was always a treat to enjoy one of Pop’s special dishes.
Ken and Alice always had dogs as part of their family. They always had more than one so they were never lonely. Foxy and Francie were loyal companions to Ken after Alice passed away and made sure he was never alone.
He was a very kind man who will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
Ken was predeceased by his wife, Alice. He was the beloved father of Kelly Graves and Kerry Metzger and brother of Brian Long, all of Hewitt. He was a loving Pop Pop to Ava, Maggie, Gracie and Sadie.
He was always there for them whether it be to wait at the school bus stop or to give some words of wisdoms and encouragement. Until the lockdowns, he never missed one of their school events.
Visiting hours are Thursday, Feb. 2 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Richards Funeral Home, 1440 Union Valley Road, West Milford. A funeral Mass will be Friday Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Hewitt. Interment in Cedar Heights Cemetery, West Milford.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the West Milford Animal Shelter would be appreciated.