Michael P. Long

Michael Patrick Long, a resident of Bowie for over 45 years, died peacefully on Saturday, February 3 surrounded by his wife and children.   He was described by all who knew him as a gentle soul who was kind hearted, compassionate and giving. Bob, as he is known to his family and friends, is survived by his wife Mary Anne, his six children: Kelly (Jim), Ken (Christine), Kathleen (Ryan), Debbie (Chris), Terri (Brian) and Carrie (Lance), and his 17 grandchildren: Sarah and Jack (Hershey); Hannah, Michael, Andrew and Kevin (Long); Matthew and Riley (Lineberger); Kelly, Colin and Charlie (George); Madeline, Nicholas and Sophia (Moroney); and Liam, Aidan and Keira (Pelkey). He is also survived by his sisters Kathleen Tear of Dudley, NC and Susan Fitzgerald (PJ) of Silver Spring, MD. Bob was born in Washington, DC on November 8, 1938 as the sixth of seven children born to the late Susan S. Kelly and Owen Patrick Long and was predeceased by his siblings: James, John, and Owen Long, and Julia Alderton. He graduated from John Carroll High School in 1956 and spent two years in the Navy on the USS Forrestal before graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in business. Bob was introduced to his lifelong love, Mary Anne Werle, by his cousin and dear friend, Kevin Kelly, at a restaurant in Washington, DC. They married on April 16, 1966 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Washington, DC, and shortly thereafter moved to Bowie, MD. Bob spent 33 years working at Bell Atlantic/Verizon, relocating to NJ for five years before coming back to Bowie to raise his six children and eventually retire. During his retirement, Bob was very active in the community. He worked for over ten years at the Bowie Senior Center as a part-time bus drive for the senior citizens, and regularly took day trips to Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD to visit museums and memorials.   He was also a Knight in the Knights of Columbus, and is an honorary lifetime member of the organization, and was a member of the St. Vincent Paul Society. Bob spent much of his time volunteering at local soup kitchens and delivering food to the less fortunate. Bob loved being active and could be found on the golf course during his retirement years a few times a week. He took yearly ski trips to CO and traveled extensively with his wife, extended family and friends. His love of his grandchildren could be most felt teaching them how to ride the waves at the beach or playing flag football at our annual Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving. Family will receive guests on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, 2pm-4pm and 6pm- 8pm at Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway (Rt. 3 South) Bowie, MD. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Pius X (14710 Annapolis Road, Bowie) on Thursday, February 8, 2018 at 10:30am followed by Interment at Our Lady of the Fields Roman Catholic Church (1070 Cecil Ave, Millersville, MD). Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1850 York Road, Suite D, Timonium, MD 21093 (www.alz.org) or Hospice of the Chesapeake, 90 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, MD 21122 (www.hospicechesapeake.org).