Paul Vernon Long

Paul Vernon Long, 72, from Caliente, Nevada, passed away on August 27, 2020, due to heart complications.

Born June 19, 1948, on Father’s Day in Creston, Iowa, Paul was the firstborn son of Ralph Ansel Long and Anna Harriet Johnson Long.  He lived on the family farm until high school graduation in 1967, attending the Mount Ayr Community School in Ringgold County.  He was a talented athlete in football, baseball, and wrestling and enjoyed playing tuba in band and string bass in dance band.  He had the lead part in several plays, was a smart student, and was the life of the party, keeping close many of his school friends throughout his life.  He worked hard on the farm; he enjoyed hunting, fishing, hanging out with his buddies, and pounding nails in stuff.

Paul left Iowa to serve his country in the Vietnam War, and was assigned to heavy artillery.  He became an E-6, staff sergeant, one of the few people who ever became an E-6 in under 2 years, in his words, “…just because our battery moved the most and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  He was in Vietnam 11 months and 4 days and was awarded many honors for valor including two Bronze Stars.  Paul was a very brave man.

After the war, Paul became a carpenter and lived in Fort Collins, Colorado, and enjoyed the company of many of his Mount Ayr friends as well as new friends wherever he went.  He was the leader of the pack, and the young men played some tough amateur football leagues, among other activities. 

Later Paul moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he became an excellent carpenter, hired a crew, and worked in many of the large casinos and hotels.  He married Janet Jensen in 1978, and their son Benjamin (Ben) Ralph Long was born in 1980.  In 1989, Paul and Ben moved to Caliente, Nevada, where Paul and a partner purchased the Knotty Pine, a restaurant, bar, and casino.  Paul later sold his share of the Knotty Pine and returned to carpentry.

Ben was the light of Paul’s life, and he was a faithful follower of all his activities.  He especially enjoyed Ben’s baseball playing where Ben, a catcher, pitched the final game to win the Nevada High School State Championship.  Later Ben also became a master carpenter, following in his dad’s footsteps.

Paul met Patty Livreri in Caliente through their boys’ activities; they began dating in 1991, were together many years, and married on May 26, 2001.  They enjoyed a happy life together, built their dream home on Longacres Lane, and developed a small community around it.  In retirement, Paul was often in his man cave, creating masterpieces out of wood.  He was a devoted father and grandfather, affectionately known as Papa, and thought of Patty’s sons and their wives and children as his own. He was as good of a man as one could ever meet, as known by his hundreds of friends, but he was an even better dad.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.  He is survived by his wife Patricia, his son Benjamin (Alyson) Long,  Zack (Kim), Nick (Tami), and Joe (Carmen) Livreri, all of Nevada; his sister Sharon Long of Rex, Georgia; and his brother Charles (Sandy) Long of Beaver Bay, Minnesota.  His 13 grandchildren are Alexis, Jakob, Cadence, and Hadley Long (Ben) of Pioche, Nevada; Kody, Austin and Anthony Livreri ( Zack ) Las Vegas, NV; Caitlin, Isabelle and Emily Livreri ( Nick ) Las Vegas , NV; Jordan, Damon and Alie Livreri ( Joe ), Caliente, NV.                                                                            

He is also survived by nieces and nephews Terri (Chris) Tedford, Spring, Texas; Steven (Heidi) Defenbaugh, Charlotte, North Carolina; Lydia (Noel) Long, Silver Bay, Minnesota; and Zechariah Long, Beaver Bay, Minnesota; several great nieces and nephews, many dear cousins, and a host of close friends living nearby and scattered across the country. The family is grateful to the neighborhood family, Lincoln County Emergency Management and Grover C Dills staff for the care and effort provided to Paul. Graveside Services will be held September 12th, 2020 at the VFW Cemetery in Caliente, NV followed by a celebration of life at Paul and Patty’s home, 4859 Longacres Ln at 1:00pm. 

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