Barry Delong

DELONG, Barry Stephen, 51, and Roxanne Marie Castillo Delong, 57, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., passed away Friday, December 22, 2006, in a tragic plane crash north of Panama City, Fla. Our lives have been infinitely saddened by the loss. Along with Barry and Roxanne, were good friends Deborah Irby and her mother, Wanda Irby and John Johnson, their pilot. Barry is survived by his mother, Suzanne Squires DeLong; his sister, Geraldine DeLong Goldman; brother-in-law, Thomas Joseph Goldman and niece, Megan Suzanne Goldman, all of Panama City; his brothers, Gary Merlin DeLong; sister-in-law, Sharon Winokur DeLong and niece, Jessica Lynn DeLong, all of Dade City, Fla. and Mark Edwin DeLong of San Diego, Calif.; his sister-in-law, Joanne Iltis DeLong; nephew, Brian Kyle DeLong and niece, Courtney Elizabeth DeLong all of East Greenwich, R.I. and many friends and relatives in Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. His father, Gerald Edwin DeLong, who died December 5, 2000, predeceased Barry. Roxanne is survived by her son, Benjamin Costello IV; daughter, Megan Frances Costello; her brother, Kenneth Krebs; sisters, Shirley Roberts, Sarita Riner-Cesaroni and Rosalie Larkin; stepbrothers, Jim Miles, Richard Miles, Gary Miles and Daniel Miles. Roxanne also has numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and was loved by many, many friends. She was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Krebs. Barry was a very special person who made friends everywhere. He was respected and loved by everyone he met due in large part to the goodness of his heart. He always had a smile, and those who heard it will never forget his laugh. Barry was born December 26, 1954, in Dade City, Fla., where he lived until the early 1990's. He was employed by Zip Fuel, then by the Florida Department of Transportation, where he worked for many years. After moving to the Panama City area to be closer to family, he entered the restaurant industry. He worked at Pineapple Willie's for several years, and it is there that he met Roxanne, his soulmate and the love of his life. Roxanne was born in Baltimore, Md. February 19, 1949 to Gerard and Jeanne Krebs. She was a real estate broker and was owner of Seashore Properties of the Emerald Coast, Inc. She loved her work in real estate, and loved the northwest Florida gulf coast. She was known as a loving, kind person to all who came in contact with her. Barry and Roxanne moved to Santa Rosa Beach several years ago and quickly became a valued and loved part of the community. They were married on the island of Santorini, Greece, in October 2005. Debbie Irby, her husband, Harry Ivy and mother, Wanda Irby were part of a group of friends from the South Walton community who were present at their wedding. Together, Barry and Roxanne built a wonderful life filled with laughter, family and friends, and they were partners in every sense of the word. Everyone whose lives they touched will miss them. They were traveling to their home in Guana Cay, Abacos, Bahamas to enjoy Christmas with their friends. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday January 6, 2007, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 37637 Magnolia Ave. in Dade City. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation, in their name, to a charity of your choice.