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Longer, Hal O.
Hal O. Longer, 83, of Fort Myers, Fla., formerly of Vinton, passed away Thursday, July 8, 2010, after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held Monday, July 26, at 11 a.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 516 Second Ave., Vinton, followed by Masonic services.
He was born Aug. 25, 1926, in Washington, Iowa. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he graduated from the University of Iowa. He taught and coached football, farmed, and owned and operated the International Harvester dealership in Vinton before taking a management position with International Harvester Corporation. During his career with Harvester he held various positions throughout the Midwest and in upstate New York. After retiring from Harvester in 1986, he spent the next 10 years in Christiansted, U.S. Virgin Islands, as a small-business owner before relocating to Fort Myers, Fla.
He was a lifelong athlete and active in numerous civic organizations, including the Vinton Fire Department, Boy Scouts, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and American Legion. He was a member of the Vinton Masonic Lodge No. 62, AF&AM and a Mason for over 50 years.
He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Longer; his children, William (Deborah) Longer of Hobart, Ind., and Diane (Robert) Hardy of Richmond, Va.; his grandchildren, Kathryn (Brian) Dixon of Indianapolis, Ind., and Cameron (Zachary) Zellner and William Hardy, both of Richmond, Va. Mr. Longer is also survived by his brother, Lt. Col. Donald K. Longer (Dr. Eleanor Longer) of Fort Myers, Fla.; his sister, June Ong of Eagle River, Wis.; as well as stepchildren, Gail (Allen) Trampel, Kristi (Dennis) Bahr, Colleen Tinney and Michael (Laura) Grubb and their families. Additional survivors are grandsons, William and Andrew; and great stepgrandson, Briar.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia Milroy Longer; son, Brian J. Longer; his parents, Frederick and Kathryn Longer; and three older brothers, William, Jack and Richard.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Vinton Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 640, Vinton, IA 52349.
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