Clifton Wright Long

Clifton Wright Long

AMARILLO, TX - Clifton Wright Long of Amarillo, TX, passed away on June 21, 2007 after a lengthy illness. Prior to moving to Amarillo, he was a long-time resident of Shreveport and Bossier City, and prominent in the insurance and savings business here.

Born April 24, 1919 in Texline, TX, he grew up and lived most of his life in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He moved to Amarillo from Shreveport in 2003 during his retirement to live near his family.

Mr. Long graduated from Pioneer High School, near Chickasha, OK, in 1938. He met Hulane Iona Williams in Chickasha, where they were married in the parlor of the First Baptist Church on January 21, 1940.

In 1954 Mr. Long entered the life insurance business as an agent and district manager in Wichita Falls, TX for the American National Life Insurance Company. He joined Century Life Insurance Company in 1957 and moved to Lawton, OK, where he was district manager. In 1962 he moved to the Century Life home office in Fort Worth, TX to become vice president and agency director. In 1969 he joined the World Service Life Insurance Company in Fort Worth as vice president. He moved to Shreveport in 1975 where he worked for ten years as president, director, vice chairman and later chairman of the board for the Savings Life Insurance Company of Louisiana, and as director and vice president of AMI, Inc. of Shreveport. During his time with Savings Life and AMI, he was instrumental in the corporate management of several insurance holding companies and subsidiaries. In 1985 he co-founded Credit Life Investment Company in Shreveport, a holding company which purchased all of the life insurance companies previously owned by AMI. By the time he retired in 2000, Cliff Long was serving as president, director or chairman of the board for nine holding and insurance companies in Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma.

Mrs. Long died in Shreveport in March 1985 after 44 years of marriage. Mr. Long married Ellen Eaves in November 1986. Their marriage lasted until her death in 1994. For several years Mr. Long was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bossier City where he taught a Bible class for Senior Adults.

Mr. Long is survived by two sons, a daughter, a stepson, a brother, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and three step-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held in Amarillo on June 25. Mr. Long was buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport on June 27. Memorial contributions may be made to the VistaCare Hospice, 7116 I-40 West, Building C, Suite B, Amarillo, TX 79106.