William Long

LONGW. H., a retired executive of 63 years died October 10, 2009 at Christ Hospital after a short illness. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Lucille Meares Long and two children; Ruth Bellamy Long "Missy" and William Allen Long II "Bill". Born in Hopkinsville, KY, September 14, 1992. Mr. Long enlisted in the Kentucky National Guard in 1939. After being released from active duty he entered Purdue and received his Bachelor and Master degrees in Physics. After graduation Mr. Long joined a secret Air Force Project based in Oak Ridge, TN. This project was later awarded to General Electric. Mr. Long was manager of the project that designed a nuclear reactor to power aircraft jet engines. He was later charged with General Electric's Aircraft Nuclear Power Department's relations with the Air Force and Atomic Energy Commisssion. Mr. Long was nominated for the Lawrence Award. He left GE in1968 and began a series of executive positions with an engineering firm. He retired in 1998, but remained activie in a refining and selling a waste burning boiler project. Mr. Long was a Kentucky Colonel, an Ohio Commodore, a member of the American Legion, and the National Association of WWII Glider Pilots. Services will be held at the graveside of the family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery on Wednesday, October 14, 2009 at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Christ Hospital Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.