Chet DeLong

It wasn't just that Chet DeLong had all the tools, Chet knew how to use them - to the benefit of others. Beyond hand tools, Chet had "heart tools" that made connections and cemented relationships. Whether it was humor or a hammer, compassion or a crowbar, forgiveness or a file Chet used every tool he had to love people - and Chet had all the tools.
The tools of his trade built more than glass and walls - they built a life of service, kindness, and care. The hands that once mended and made now rest in the peace of their Maker. Chester Gayle "Chet" DeLong passed peacefully on Friday, October 17, 2025, surrounded by those he loved most.
Born April 19, 1944, in Dayton, Kentucky, to Vernon E. and Lexie L. (Johnson) DeLong, Chet was graduated from Lexington High School in 1962. He began his career with PPG, then Mansfield Plate Glass, before stepping out on his own to start Richland Glass & Tool Rental - a business he proudly operated for more than forty years from the commercial site he built and owned with his brother in Lexington Park Centre.
Chet was a man of faith and fellowship. He was a member of the United Methodist Church of the Cross in Lexington and an active member of Charles Hoffman Lodge F&AM, where he served as Past Master.
He was also the founder, president, and faithful host of the Daddy Day Care Coffee Club - his morning gathering of lifelong buddies who never tired of telling each other the same tall tales, stories, and jokes, day after day.
A gifted artist, Chet's talent revealed itself early. As a first grader, he sold his drawings for a penny apiece to classmates. Entirely self-taught as a painter, he was equally at home with watercolors, acrylics, and oils. A lifelong Lexington resident, he played on Ralph Hershner's very first Little League team and came full circle by coaching his daughters' softball teams years later.
When his hands weren't tinkering with something mechanical or at work with his tools, they were likely helping someone - lending support, fixing what was broken, or simply being there. Those who knew him best will remember a man with a peaceful heart - kind, generous, and full of grace.
Chet loved people. He was deeply devoted to his family and fiercely loved his wife. His quick wit and sense of humor were matched only by his tenderness; he was a man who could shed a tear easily - "maybe his kidneys were too close to his eyes," - moved as much by compassion as by laughter.
He is survived by his wife, Gail (Henning) DeLong, whom he married on May 22, 1964; daughters Tamra (Craig Wolf) Barnett and Lisa (Robert) Booth, all of Mansfield; a granddaughter whom he raised as his own daughter Darby DeLong (Cody Loveland); grandchildren Megan Moll, Angela Moll, Elizabeth Moll Rybarczyk, Melissa Studer, Allison Nicholas, and Cory Booth; and eleven great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his brother Currie (Shelia) DeLong of Clermont, FL; sister Lexanne (Steve) Dellos of Summerville, SC; sisters-in-law Diana DeLong and Brenda DeLong, both of Mansfield; sisters-in-law Marilyn Jackson of Mansfield and Lee (Tom) Seaver of Utica, NY; brothers-in-law Kenneth (Mary) Henning of Dayton and Dominic Manfredo of Long Island, NY; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and a wide circle of friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; stepfather Donald St. John; brother Gene DeLong; sister Lori St. John; father- and mother-in-law Dominic and Carmen (Carter) Manfredo; and grandparents-in-law Walter and Mildred Carter.
A Masonic Memorial Service will be held Friday, October 24, 2025, at 12 noon in the Lexington Avenue Snyder Funeral Home. Friends may call on the DeLong family following that service until the time of the funeral at 3 p.m. Celebrant Dave Roberts will lead the ceremony. Private interment will be in Oak Grove Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Chet's memory may be made to the OSU Kidney Transplant Center at wexnermedical.osu.edu/ways-to-give.
Snyder Funeral Homes is honored to serve the DeLong family. Share a message of support with them - and watch Chet's tribute video - online at SnyderFuneralHomes.com.
God has gathered up his tools, the same hands that built and repaired, comforted and served. The workbench is quiet now, but his handiwork lives on in every heart he touched.