Jack Richard Long

Jack Richard Long, 79, of Boca Raton, Florida passed away peacefully Monday, May 14, 2018. 

Born December 16, 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, Jack grew up in Springfield, Missouri where he attended the Greenwood School. He was described by a teacher as someone whose “seriousness of purpose will take him far. He is most dependable, honest and upright.” Jack was a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. Upon graduation in 1961, he served two years as an officer in the US Army Corp of Engineers.

In 1959, he married Mary Pamela Osborn of Joplin, Missouri. They were blessed with three children: Mary Courtney (Timothy) James (Leawood, Kansas), Kathleen Kavanaugh (Kent) Swearingen (Olathe, Kansas), and Christian Dupree (Megan) Long (Plano, Texas). Over the years the family lived in Atchison, Kansas, Athens, Georgia, Hinsdale, Illinois, and Lenexa, Kansas. The marriage ended in 1979. In 1983, he married Karen Arlene Boyajian, with whom he enjoyed 35 years of marriage and who lovingly cared for him as his health declined.

His business career began at Rockwell International in Atchison, Kansas. Over the next five decades Jack served in engineering, sales, and leadership roles for multiple companies in the railway industry throughout the United States, working on both the BART system in the California Bay Area and the Washington Metro in the District of Columbia. Later, Jack’s international career included business engagements in over 30 countries, as well as authoring and presenting a variety of international papers. He was an innovative engineer and held eight US patents. At the time of his death, Jack was Chairman of RMD - Railway Metrics and Dynamics AB, Sweden.

Jack was a creative and talented man who enjoyed his family, working hard, gardening, and problem solving at every opportunity.

He is survived by his wife, Karen, children Courtney, Kate and Chris and their spouses, nine grandchildren Libby, Torie, Nate, Nick, Peyton, Alexandra and Lucy, two step-grandsons Jordan and Benson, and two great-grandchildren, Cooper and Maggie. A Celebration of Jack’s life will be held in the fall in Kansas City. Memorial donations may be made to the National Military Family Association, 3601 Eisenhower Avenue, Suite 425, Alexandria, VA, 22304, www.militaryfamily.org.

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