- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1943
- Date Of Death: March 29, 2020
- State: Indiana
Born Oct. 28, 1943, he was the son of Richard E. and Maryalice Robbins Long. Although he lived briefly in Kewanna, his family moved to Logansport in 1945 after his father, a U.S. Army captain, was killed in Papua, New Guinea, during World War II.
He attended Logansport schools and graduated from Logansport High School in 1961 during the championship reign known as the LHS “Golden Years.” He was among fans in 1961 who attended Logansport’s last appearance in the IHSAA single-class Final Four, held then at Hinkle Fieldhouse. He was a photographer for the school yearbook, the Tattler, and enjoyed photography for much of his adulthood.
He went on to Purdue University, and during his years there in the 1960s, he spent a summer in Europe and drove to Pasadena, Calif., where he witnessed Bob Griese and the Boilermakers’ only Rose Bowl win, a 14-13 victory over Southern California in 1967. His affinity for Purdue athletics — particularly intense rivalries with Indiana, Notre Dame and Ohio State — never waned. He was on campus at a time when Purdue was No. 1 in the nation in football and astronauts from the campus became fresh household names.
During this period of his life, he enjoyed attending the Indianapolis 500 and the Kentucky Derby. He also participated in road rallies for Mustang owners. Rick purchased what may have been the first Mustang convertible ever sold in Logansport at the former Johnson Ford dealership. He also drove and owned a Classic Ford Thunderbird.
After completing student teaching, he taught at Lafayette Central Catholic High School and Klondike Junior High School in the Tippecanoe School Corporation before joining the North Montgomery High School faculty in Crawfordsville. His final career move was to the Avon High School, where he served as school librarian. It was there that he met his future wife, Debbie Stark. They were married in 1993 in Martinsville. He eventually retired from Avon as the senior member of the faculty
Rick enjoyed traveling throughout the United States.
Together, he and his wife spent much of their retirement along the Gulf Coast before he fell into ill health. He had spent the past two years in nursing facilities in Avon.
He also enjoyed sailing on Lake Michigan and Eagle Creek, and was known for his wit and his hearty laughter.
Surviving with his wife are two daughters, Jennifer (Rob) Hyman, Chicago, Ill., and Elisabeth (Seth) Ramsey, Indianapolis; one son, Jeremy Long, Indianapolis; one stepdaughter, Dawn Doyle, Avon, and two stepsons, John (Laura) Stark, Indianapolis, and Josh (Liz) Stark, Houston, Texas; a brother, Dave (Julie) Kitchell, Logansport; six grandchildren, Abigail Luther, Paris, France, and Pascal Luther, Washington state; and Katie and Emma Ramsey and Brodey and Crosby Long, all of Indianapolis; six stepgranddaughters, Brittany, Amber and Taylor Stark, Kylie Treadwell, Eugene, Ore., and Mya Doyle, Indianapolis; one stepgrandson, John Stark Jr.; and one stepgreat-grandson, Brayden Stark.; a nephew, Max Kitchell, and two nieces, Goldie and Minnie Kitchell, all of Logansport, and a cousin, Kerry Murray, Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his stepfather, Robert Kitchell, and an infant brother, Robert W. Kitchell.
