Our Mother, Rosemary Edmondson Long, died on December 4, 2015 at home. She had a great and fulfilled life. She was born September 19, 1915 at home in Macon, Georgia, then moved to Albany, Georgia at an early age and grew up there. She graduated from the University of Georgia and started her career in social work in North Georgia. Rosemary marred James S. Newman from Gainesville, Georgia, and had two children. Her husband, Jim and her father were killed in 1951. The rest of her life, our mother worked in the family business, Engineering & Equipment Co. She married Henry L. Long in 1956 and the family moved to Panama City to open the branch of the business here.
Rosemary was a lifetime Episcopalian and attended St. Andrews Episcopal Church on Beach Drive for 60 years. There she served in many capacities locally and in the Central Gulf Coast Diocesan. She loved her church.
She is survived by her children, Lou Newman King (Joe Tom) of Southport; John Edmondson Newman and adopted son, Rich Blum of Panama City; grandchildren, Dusty Hale II of Costa Rica; Tom Colson King (Kristen) of Panama City; great grandchildren, Dustin Dakota Michael Massengill, U.S. Navy; Casine Hale and Sophia Hale, Costa Rica; adopted family, Son and Duc Bach and family of Lynn Haven; Hanh and Hoang Nguyen and family, Escondido, California; and a host of friends.
Rosemary was involved with many organizations over the years, serving on boards and many positions, including Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Social Services, Etc, and her latest favorite was Chaplain of the Panhandle Crime Stoppers.
There will a memorial service held at St. Andrews Episcopal Church at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 2015. It will be followed by a reception in the Parish Hall. The family will then gather at her home for visits with friends.
Mama had a great life. She was born in her family's home and left life in the house she loved. A beautiful ending to a beautiful story.
The family would appreciate that in lieu of flowers, an act of kindness be shown to those who are often forgotten, the gentle, sweet folks in nursing homes and those unable to leave their home. She had a special love for those residents, especially Lisenby Retirement Center.