Long
“Be like Joe” was the inscription on several T-shirts and sweatshirts in the crowded Mount Gilead High School Auditoria that was overflowing with family, friends, and students of Joe Long on Sept. 23 as Long was posthumously awarded the Dr. Nathan Tucker Award of Excellence.
“Look around the room,” Mount Gilead Mayor Donna Carver told the crowd. “Your support in being here shows how much Joe meant to the community.”
Carver added that Long, who passed away Nov. 25, 2023, gave more in his short life of 38 years than many give in a long life. She introduced attorney Andrew Wick who nominated Long for the award.
Wick was a classmate and friend of Long from kindergarten through high school in Mount Gilead.
“Joe always epitomized what Mount Gilead means to me. He was warmth; He was a kind spirit; He was home,” said Wick. “And he wasn’t satisfied with just living here, he wanted to make Mount Gilead the best place possible for his family, for my family, for all of us.”
Wick said he worked with Long on legal details when he was setting up the End Zone Bar and Grill.
He said he tried to discourage Long from opening the business because he felt Long was “too kind and gentle to survive in the business world.”
Long answered him, “Buddy, the key is to treat everyone like a friend, so they become one and then you don’t worry about it.”
Wick went on to say Long coached middle school football for 10 years at Mount Gilead as well as gave his time and talents in bringing together events and activities at the End Zone. The End Zone was a large part of Long’s dream of having a place for the community to come together.
Carver spoke about the Dr. Nathan Tucker Award for Excellence named after the local physician who became famous worldwide for his treatment of asthma. She said he became known as a caring man with a philanthropist’s heart. Tucker built several buildings in downtown Mount Gilead, including his office and laboratory, which is now Morrow Family Health Center.
The Tucker Award is awarded every year by the Village of Mount Gilead to those whose activities and contributions to Mount Gilead have led to the betterment and blessings of the village and local area.
“Ordinarily, recipients are older residents who have spent their long lives giving of themselves for their community,” Carver said. “Joe was always everyone’s cheerleader. Sadly, Joe’s life was way to short. … Tonight, we honor his legacy.”
Accepting the award for Joseph D. Long were his wife, Sarah, and his children Olivia and Wyatt.
“Hopefully, this award will inspire others to be like Joe,” Sarah Long said. “He loved football, and he loved this town. He wanted the restaurant to be a place where people could come together.”
Sarah Long asked the crowd, “Think about how you can be a person to affect people positively.”
Darci High announced that Long’s family is starting a foundation to which people can contribute called the Joe Long Foundation. Funds will be used to support local school district sports teams.
Alberta Stojkovic is a correspondent for The Morrow County Sentinel. She can be reached at [email protected].
