“Have I ever told you about the time…”
If you knew Greg, you probably heard that line more than once, and there’s a good chance you’d already heard the story before. Gregory Dean Longmiller, known as Greg, Dad, Grandpa Greg, and sometimes “Gerg,” lived a life full of stories, laughter, and a personality that was impossible to ignore.
Greg was born on July 15, 1952, to Gladys and Bob Long. He grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. He had two brothers: Mark Long, who preceded him in death, and a brother he met later in life, Bob Buser, who he quickly became friends
with.
In the early 1970s, Greg married Alice Miller, and together they combined their names to become the Longmiller family while raising their two children, Chase and Evan. Greg and Chase shared a love of sports, time up north, and golfing, and Greg was very proud of Chase and his career as a firefighter. Greg and Evan shared a similar sense of humor and a love of senseless chatter and jokes. Greg often joked that Evan’s job must really be with the CIA because he never understood why she traveled so much or “what she really did.”
Greg was a very proud dad. His kids brought him a lot of joy and, as he would have admitted, a fair amount of heartburn, especially in their teenage years, when he’d be watching the Packer game while they were out “borrowing” his truck, riding the clutch and squealing the tires.
Chase is married to Jamie, and together they have two children, Liam (Gregory) and Reece. Evan is married to Rueben Josephson, and they have two children, Finley and Cassidy. Greg loved Jamie and Rueben and especially appreciated their patience in listening to his stories, often more than once.
Becoming Grandpa Greg was one of his favorite roles. He loved joking with his grandkids, cheering on their unique talents and personalities, and showing up with the “next” bike, go‑cart, or even a motorcycle as they grew. Greg adored his four grandchildren and every opportunity to have them all together. He loved watching Chase pull them at ridiculous speeds behind his boat at the cabin while tubing, flying over jumps on dirt bikes (sometimes through fireworks), or simply watching them play sports, create art, sing, and play guitar. In his eyes, they were perfect.
In the early 1980s, Greg and Alice split up, and when Alice moved west to Arizona and Oregon, Greg followed so he could stay close to his kids. Later, when Alice and the kids moved back to Wisconsin, Greg settled in Illinois, never too far from family. He and Alice did an amazing job co‑parenting and never let on about any frustrations they may have had while the kids were growing up. Greg was always there for holidays, birthdays, first days of school, and all the milestones that mattered. Both extended families maintained great relationships, showing Chase and Evan the importance of kindness and respect for others.
Greg worked many jobs over the years and was truly a jack of all trades, spending much of his career as a finish carpenter. Later, he owned the Dwight House Pub in Illinois, where he formed lasting friendships over drinks, laughter, and a shared love of motorcycles. He always thought the pub’s name was a witty play on words, along with its catchphrase, “We ain’t right.” During his years in Illinois, Greg spent nearly 20 years with Sandy Hausner. While they were no longer together as a couple, they stayed friends, and Sandy continues to be part of his family’s life.
Greg loved playing guitar and harmonica and staring at people awkwardly while making up random lyrics. He loved throwing barn dances in Eastern Oregon, often asked his kids to play a song he heard on the radio, “Hey, can you play a song by so‑and‑so?” as if he were discovering new talent, sending five harmonicas Evan who doesn’t play, and gifting his granddaughter her first electric guitar.
Greg started out as a free‑spirited hippie at heart, believing in peace, freedom, and living outside the lines. Over time, that outlook shifted. He became drawn into Trump‑era politics and, by his own admission, sometimes let money and self‑interest guide his views more than compassion. During the last election, he told his kids he could no longer support Trump. Whether that was a true change of heart or simply an effort to keep the peace, we like to believe he found his way back toward voting for humanity, not just his wallet.
Greg was a shopper and a gambler. He loved Antiques Roadshow and was forever convinced he’d found the next hidden treasure worth a fortune. He left behind a shop full of those “treasures” and random trinkets. Thankfully, he’ll never know the true value of those commemorative presidential coins or “precious” gemstones haha. The thrill of possibility always made him want more.
Greg lived life in his own way, and that sometimes brought challenges along with it. He could be stubborn, complicated, and set in his ways, and some relationships carried strain over time. But he cared deeply and loved in the ways he knew how, big, loud, and with his whole heart, even when his ego sometimes got in the way.
In recent years, Greg’s health declined due to Parkinson’s disease. After a serious fall, his body was too weak to recover. He spent his final week surrounded by his children and family. True to his spirit, the room was filled not only with tears but also with stories, jokes, dark humor, and a lot of music. Greg’s kids became convinced he was somehow controlling the playlist, as the song choices were so randomly perfect. At one point, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven played and his kids thought, okay, this is it… but when the song ended, The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want came on. It was perfectly timed humor that felt unmistakably Greg. He passed peacefully with his kids beside him, laughter still in the room.
Greg leaves behind a lifetime of stories, many repeated and some possibly made up, and a family who will forever hear his voice begin with, “Have I ever told you about the time…”
He will be deeply missed and always remembered.
Please note that the tree/flower link below is provided through the Legacy website and is not affiliated with the Longmiller family.
If you would like to honor Greg’s memory, memorial donations may be made to Sharon Richardson Hospice in Sheboygan, WI.
If you knew Greg, you probably heard that line more than once, and there’s a good chance you’d already heard the story before. Gregory Dean Longmiller, known as Greg, Dad, Grandpa Greg, and sometimes “Gerg,” lived a life full of stories, laughter, and a personality that was impossible to ignore.
Greg was born on July 15, 1952, to Gladys and Bob Long. He grew up in Racine, Wisconsin. He had two brothers: Mark Long, who preceded him in death, and a brother he met later in life, Bob Buser, who he quickly became friends
with.
In the early 1970s, Greg married Alice Miller, and together they combined their names to become the Longmiller family while raising their two children, Chase and Evan. Greg and Chase shared a love of sports, time up north, and golfing, and Greg was very proud of Chase and his career as a firefighter. Greg and Evan shared a similar sense of humor and a love of senseless chatter and jokes. Greg often joked that Evan’s job must really be with the CIA because he never understood why she traveled so much or “what she really did.”
Greg was a very proud dad. His kids brought him a lot of joy and, as he would have admitted, a fair amount of heartburn, especially in their teenage years, when he’d be watching the Packer game while they were out “borrowing” his truck, riding the clutch and squealing the tires.
Chase is married to Jamie, and together they have two children, Liam (Gregory) and Reece. Evan is married to Rueben Josephson, and they have two children, Finley and Cassidy. Greg loved Jamie and Rueben and especially appreciated their patience in listening to his stories, often more than once.
Becoming Grandpa Greg was one of his favorite roles. He loved joking with his grandkids, cheering on their unique talents and personalities, and showing up with the “next” bike, go‑cart, or even a motorcycle as they grew. Greg adored his four grandchildren and every opportunity to have them all together. He loved watching Chase pull them at ridiculous speeds behind his boat at the cabin while tubing, flying over jumps on dirt bikes (sometimes through fireworks), or simply watching them play sports, create art, sing, and play guitar. In his eyes, they were perfect.
In the early 1980s, Greg and Alice split up, and when Alice moved west to Arizona and Oregon, Greg followed so he could stay close to his kids. Later, when Alice and the kids moved back to Wisconsin, Greg settled in Illinois, never too far from family. He and Alice did an amazing job co‑parenting and never let on about any frustrations they may have had while the kids were growing up. Greg was always there for holidays, birthdays, first days of school, and all the milestones that mattered. Both extended families maintained great relationships, showing Chase and Evan the importance of kindness and respect for others.
Greg worked many jobs over the years and was truly a jack of all trades, spending much of his career as a finish carpenter. Later, he owned the Dwight House Pub in Illinois, where he formed lasting friendships over drinks, laughter, and a shared love of motorcycles. He always thought the pub’s name was a witty play on words, along with its catchphrase, “We ain’t right.” During his years in Illinois, Greg spent nearly 20 years with Sandy Hausner. While they were no longer together as a couple, they stayed friends, and Sandy continues to be part of his family’s life.
Greg loved playing guitar and harmonica and staring at people awkwardly while making up random lyrics. He loved throwing barn dances in Eastern Oregon, often asked his kids to play a song he heard on the radio, “Hey, can you play a song by so‑and‑so?” as if he were discovering new talent, sending five harmonicas Evan who doesn’t play, and gifting his granddaughter her first electric guitar.
Greg started out as a free‑spirited hippie at heart, believing in peace, freedom, and living outside the lines. Over time, that outlook shifted. He became drawn into Trump‑era politics and, by his own admission, sometimes let money and self‑interest guide his views more than compassion. During the last election, he told his kids he could no longer support Trump. Whether that was a true change of heart or simply an effort to keep the peace, we like to believe he found his way back toward voting for humanity, not just his wallet.
Greg was a shopper and a gambler. He loved Antiques Roadshow and was forever convinced he’d found the next hidden treasure worth a fortune. He left behind a shop full of those “treasures” and random trinkets. Thankfully, he’ll never know the true value of those commemorative presidential coins or “precious” gemstones haha. The thrill of possibility always made him want more.
Greg lived life in his own way, and that sometimes brought challenges along with it. He could be stubborn, complicated, and set in his ways, and some relationships carried strain over time. But he cared deeply and loved in the ways he knew how, big, loud, and with his whole heart, even when his ego sometimes got in the way.
In recent years, Greg’s health declined due to Parkinson’s disease. After a serious fall, his body was too weak to recover. He spent his final week surrounded by his children and family. True to his spirit, the room was filled not only with tears but also with stories, jokes, dark humor, and a lot of music. Greg’s kids became convinced he was somehow controlling the playlist, as the song choices were so randomly perfect. At one point, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven played and his kids thought, okay, this is it… but when the song ended, The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want came on. It was perfectly timed humor that felt unmistakably Greg. He passed peacefully with his kids beside him, laughter still in the room.
Greg leaves behind a lifetime of stories, many repeated and some possibly made up, and a family who will forever hear his voice begin with, “Have I ever told you about the time…”
He will be deeply missed and always remembered.
Please note that the tree/flower link below is provided through the Legacy website and is not affiliated with the Longmiller family.
If you would like to honor Greg’s memory, memorial donations may be made to Sharon Richardson Hospice in Sheboygan, WI.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Gregory Dean Longmiller, please visit our flower store.
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