Obituary of Walter Long

Life Legacy Walter Russell Long passed away on Friday, January 19 at the DECH . He was the son of the late W. Forrest Long and Caroline Sutherland Long. He was born on March 14, 1928 in the old Grieves house on the bank of the Saint John River in Devon and grew up on Neill Street. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Irene Cunning Long, four sons- Forrest (Patsy) in Alabama, Russell in Red Deer, Alberta, Michael in Fredericton and Daniel (Karen) in Kingsley. He is also survived by seven grandchildren- Angela Smith (Anthony), Matthew Long (Annie), Wendy Johnson (Calvin), Will Long, Carrie Long, Jeff Long (Katy) and Greg Long (Linda); six great grandchildren- Erika and Kristin Johnson, Isaac and Caleb Smith, Sophie and Walter J. Long; several nieces and one nephew; one sister-in-law, Rosina Long. He was predeceased by his parents, as well as by brothers Ken and Dave. His life’s work he was with the Canadian National Railway, beginning in 1944. His first position was with the track department, followed by a five year apprenticeship at the Moncton CN shops to prepare him for a carman trade. It was while in Moncton that he met Irene when she was fourteen and they were later married in 1950. His work took him to Halifax and then was transferred back to Devon where he worked for thirty-nine years. He followed in the footsteps of both his grandfathers- Walter S. Long who was a train conductor for 44 years and Clark Sutherland who was a bridge painter foreman for the railroad for twenty-seven years. Walter retired in 1989 after forty-five years of service. He was the last shop employee to work for CNR at South Devon. He was interested in local railway history and had gathered an extensive collection of old photos and stories, resulting in a book- “The Men of the Whooper”, on the Canada Eastern Railway. For thirty-nine years he managed the Sunny Bank Cemetery. For many years he was president of the United Railway Credit Union which served both CNR and CPR families in the area. He was also an associate member of the Fredericton North Heritage Association. He was a member of Devon Park Baptist Church. Visitation will take place at York Funeral Home, 302 Brookside Drive, Fredericton, NB on Wednesday January 24, 2018 from 12 to 2 pm. A Funeral Service will follow at 2 pm in York Funeral Home's T. Gordon MacLeod Memorial Chapel. Burial will be at the Sunny Bank Cemetery in the spring. Donations in memory can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or Devon Park Baptist Church. Personal condolences may be offered through www.yorkfh.com