A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on March 13 at St. Leo Church in Elmwood Park for Wayne G. Long of Paterson, who died in his sleep on March 6. He was 76.
Born in Clifton, Long was the eldest of four siblings. He attended St. Philip the Apostle School in Clifton, Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, Wadhams Hall in Ogdensburg, N.Y., and the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He married his wife, Peggy, in 1974.
After working various jobs, Long started teaching theology at Paul VI High School in Clifton and rose to become dean of discipline and eventually principal. He left education to serve as business manager and finance officer of the Paterson Diocese.
After retiring, Long taught theology at DePaul Catholic High School in Wayne until 2019.
Long’s interests included birds, lawn care, model trains, his own craft bears, his Irish heritage, and horse racing.
Survivors include his wife, Peggy; his children, David, Kathleen, Daniel, and Kevin; and his grandchildren, Cormac, Saoirse, Leo, Desi, Caleb, and James.
Please make memorial donations in Long’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.
