Timothy J. Long

Halifax - Artist, musician, composer, tennis player, photographer, Tim Long 52, of Legate Lane in Halifax, has passed away after a courageous, 2-year and 9-month battle with glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer. Tim died peacefully on Monday afternoon, May 21, 2012 at the home of his parents surrounded by his loving family and his devoted girlfriend. Tim was born in Hartford, Ct. on January 20, 1960 to Donald and Nancy (Allen) Long. The family moved back to Vermont where they had lived for multiple generations when Tim was six months old. Tim was a life long resident of Southern Vermont and considered himself a native Vermonter. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church on Western Avenue where he was confirmed into the church in the late 1970's. Tim attended Green St. and Academy Schools in Brattleboro and graduated from Brattleboro Union High School in 1978 with the "Class of '78 is Great!" He went on to study music and art at the University of Vermont and Lyndon State College. After college, Tim transitioned into his father's real estate business, Don Long Realtors, Inc., where he worked with his entire family for over twenty years. Most recently Tim worked as a broker for the Masiello Group in Brattleboro. Tim treasured the last 20-plus years he spent living in his log cabin in Halifax. His home was his retreat. He found peace and tranquility communing with Nature walking, hiking and snowmobiling in the pristine woods and fields surrounding his beloved home. He spent many happy hours hiking "over the top" of French Hill, observing the stars in the night sky and watching the moonrise over the bull pasture. He also had a passion for ice fishing with his brother Chris in their home made ice shanty on Harriman Reservoir, a past time they learned from their grandfather. Tim excelled at sports from an early age. He was a star pitcher for the Pirates, a Small Fry Little League Team. The Pirates won the State Small Fry Championships in 1969. Tim and fellow pitcher David Corbeil blanked the defending Champs in the final game to take home the win for the young Brattleboro team. Tim was an accomplished soccer player and played on the BUHS Varsity Soccer Team throughout his high school years. He received the Most Improved Player Award in 1977. Tim took to the clay tennis courts at the Brattleboro Outing Club at age 8 and became the protégé of teaching pros Bill White and Rick Foley. Tim became an outstanding tennis player winning numerous club championships in singles and doubles. Tim played number one singles for the BUHS Varsity Tennis Team throughout his high school years. As a sophomore, Tim made it to the finals of the State Championships where he went down swinging in a hard fought battle against the fourth year State Champ, Jeff Stone, who later went on to play on the pro circuit. Tim was greatly admired as a tennis player and instructor by members of the Brattleboro Outing Club and Brattleboro Tennis Club. His superb athleticism, exquisite strokes and heart-warming smile will be deeply missed. Tim also possessed an artist's hand and eye. He began drawing and painting at an early age and became a favorite pupil of BUHS art teacher Olivia McCrum at age 14. Tim was drawn to music from age 3 when his grandfather, Robert Noel Allen, taught him basic chords first on the piano and then on banjo and guitar. Tim took up the trumpet and drums in grade school, but "thankfully" turned back to piano and guitar in his teenage years. Tim played piano by ear. His beautiful, self-composed pieces flowed directly from his head to the keys to the delight of all who were blessed with hearing him play. Tim's natural musical ability translated seamlessly into mastering the guitar by age 16. In his twenties, Tim played keyboard and lead guitar for the local rock and roll band AB Driver. In his thirties, Tim jumped into technology and began playing, composing and producing music electronically at his studio in Halifax. After loosing a fingertip in a wood splitter accident, Tim lost his ability to play keyboard and guitar. He became more and more focused on computer technology, electronic music production and digital photography. In August of 2009 at the age of 49, Tim was diagnosed with a stage IV Glioblastoma brain tumor. The tumor was removed surgically in August 2009, but came back within a few months. After his second brain surgery in November 2009, he became intensely drawn to the amazing designs and engineering of all things in Nature. Blessed with surviving longer than his 6-month prognosis, his motto became "every day is a beautiful day..." Each day he would sling his camera over his shoulder and roam deep into the wild woods surrounding his log cabin in Halifax and other areas of spectacular beauty throughout Southern Vermont and beyond. An ardent nature lover and outdoorsman, Tim focused his lens on wild life and the natural world. Tim's photographs capture the beauty and mystery of our planet revealing the most minute, intricate details, colors, textures and patterns in Nature. Perhaps living with brain cancer hastened Tim's drive to document all the beauty that this world has to offer. On December 1, 2011, after almost two years without recurrence, a third malignant brain tumor showed up on an MRI. Tim had a third brain surgery to remove the tumor on January 25, 2012. He tried an experimental drug in February that had devastating side effects and did not stop the progression of the tumor. Tim is survived by his beloved girlfriend, Lyn Sperry of West Guilford, dear friend Valarie Rozokat of Brattleboro, his parents Don and Nancy Long of West Brattleboro, sister Pamela Long and husband Rick Foley of Brattleboro, brother Christopher Long and girlfriend Tracy Marino of Halifax, Aunt and Uncle Iris and Hugh Bronson of Brattleboro and many cousins. He also leaves a large host of very dear friends. An outdoor memorial service in celebration of Tim's life will be held Sunday May 27th at 1 P.M. in the field at the Hilltop Montessori School at 120 Summit Circle off Guilford St. Ext. in Brattleboro. A reception will follow at the American Legion Post #5 located at 32 Linden Street. Friends and extended family are invited to call at the Atamaniuk Funeral Home on Friday from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. Tim will be laid to rest at a later date in the family lot in Meetinghouse Hill Cemetery on Orchard Street. Memorial contributions in Tim's name may be made to The Tim Long Tennis Scholarship Fund, c/o BOC, PO Box 335, Brattleboro, Vt. 05302 or to Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Avenue, Brattleboro, VT 05301.