Dennis Michael Long's Obituary
Dennis Michael Long, age 71, passed away on December 9, 2017. He was born January 26, 1946 in Racine, Wisconsin.
He was a lifelong resident of Racine and attended Washington Park High School. He worked for more than 30 years at the S.C. Johnson Company. Dennis retired from the company in the late 1990’s.
Dennis Michael Long, or to his family, Denny, was a self-made man. Self-educated, fiercely independent, tenacious, hard working and opinionated. He could be prickly at times, good and loyal to his friends, and to the ones closest to him, a loving, kind and compassionate soul. He shared that his one true regret, was not having children and a family of his own.
Denny’s sister, Kay Muller recalled, “I knew him best as my adorable little brother. My mother adored him as well. My Uncle Dick gave me his old box Kodak camera when Denny was around 3 years old, and all I did was take pictures of him. Whatever he was doing was cute enough to be recorded for posterity.”
Denny was a skilled craftsman and remodeled numerous homes in which he lived. His passion was classic automobile restorations. You could find him at car shows, flea markets, and swap meets, playing cards with family and friends, and in earlier years, spent many weekends camping and canoeing. His ex-wife Lori described Denny as a “great cat dad” for which he earned this title caring, mending and loving 20+ cats in his 71 years. Over his lifetime, Denny took great pleasure in meticulously restoring more than 40 classic autos and trucks. Upon his death, he owned more than 18 of them.
Denny is survived by his brother, Tim Long of Las Cruces, NM; sister, Kay Muller of Evanston, IL; nieces: Mimi Roeder of Evanston, IL, Lynn Levin of Evanston, IL and Claire Caragher of Chicago IL, Corie Dacus of Lafayette, CO and Christine Long of Erie, CO; great nephews and niece: Andrew and Jason Levin of Evanston, IL and Tom, Dave and Ellen Roeder of Evanston/Chicago, IL. Additionally, he is survived by cousins: Dan and Tom Olsen and Laurie Larsen all of Racine, WI, Ned Starke of Three Lakes, WI, and friend and ex-wife Lori Barz of Racine, WI.
Cremation has taken place, and, at his request, there will be no service. Online condolences may be made at www.wilsonfuneralhomeinc.com.
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