Joseph Henry Long

1925 - 2015

Joseph Henry Long of West Hartford, died on January 31, 2015 at the age of 89. Born February 27, 1925 in Chicago, Joseph Long was the son of Fred Long and Catie Smick Long of Villa Park, Illinois. He graduated from York High School, Elmhurst, IL. He served his country as a radar mechanic in the US Army Air Corp. from 1943 to 1946, and met his future wife- a strawberry blond - Elsie Rockwood of Lombard, IL, a few days after separation from the army. He attended Wright Junior College in Chicago and then the University of Illinois, Urbana from 1948 until he graduated in 1950 with a BS in Accounting. He and Elsie Rockwood were married in 1949 in Lombard on the same day his brother Bill married Elsie's sister, Donna. Joe started his insurance career with The Traveler's Insurance Co in 1950 as a trainee adjuster in Chicago. A year later he joined the Hartford and became a resident adjuster in Central Michigan. He then transferred back to Chicago as a supervisor and was later promoted to assistant manager in the Hartford Metro Office. In 1970 the Long family moved to CT where Joe became a "project manager" in the development of the Corporate Clam Processing System with The Hartford. Joe held various other positions in the Hartford Insurance company home office Claims Department until he retired in 1990 as "Deputy Director of Claims Administration." After retirement, Joe pursued a second career for several more years as a marketing representative with the Rimkus Consulting Group - a forensic engineering firm. Joe held the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriters Designation. He was active at both the Chapter level and the Society. He was a member of the Loss Executives' Association. Joe was a member of the West Hartford American Legion Post and was active in Scouting for a number of years in Lombard and West Hartford, CT. and a member of the Squires - a senior group. Joe was an avid cyclist and photographer. He made a number of bicycle trips to Europe. Prior to his military service, Joe spent summers in his youth at relative's farms in Macomb and Bushnell, IL. He always remembered those years fondly. He continued to visit relatives in Macomb, IL and attended a family reunion as recently as October of 2014. Joe is preceded in death by his wife Elsie and his oldest son David. He is survived by daughter-in-law Susan Long, sons James and Jerald Long brother William Long, sister Mary Long, brother and sister-in law Larry and Jane Rockwood, sister-in-law Donna Long and other relatives in Florida and Illinois. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday February 4, 2015 from 3-6 p.m at the Taylor & Modeen Funeral Home 136 South Main St., West Hartford. Graveside service and burial will take place at Fairview Cemetery,West Hartford which will be private. For online condolences and directions please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com