Ann Long

Ann Long was an artisan, expert bridge player and lover of all things puzzle. She was born in Bluffton Indiana April 29, 1934 to Ethyl and Walter Elston.  Ann married G. Gilbert Long in 1952 and set out on a lifetime of adventures. They settled in Raleigh, North Carolina where they raised three hard-working, responsible, and loving children. Aside from being a mother and homemaker, Ann had many facets - In 1964, she made the mistake of walking into the Craft Center at N.C. State University where she began playing in the mud and became a lifelong Ceramicist. She owned and operated the AMEL Ceramic Center in Apex, NC for over thirty years where she shared her passion with retail customers in the Triangle Area. Ann and Gil indulged in frequent travels across the globe including Antarctica, New Zealand, the Mediterranean and Norway.  After Gil's passing, she was accompanied in her world travels by the Blue Footed Booby, a beloved token from one of her charities. In 2021 Ann bought a house and moved to Kansas to join her daughter in a new chapter with many celebrations and fun activities. She learned the lay of the land quickly and soon found a group of like-minded people at the Matt Ross Community Center who enjoyed the finer points of playing progressive and duplicate bridge.  Ann cared about family and was generous with her support when she thought things matter.   She Ann died peacefully on May 14, 2022.

She is survived by her sister, Mary Decker, her sister-in-law, Sally Elston, her son, James Long and daughters, Claudia Wilson, and Jorj Long. Ann is also survived by seven grandchildren Jessica, Jenna, Justin, Matthew, Rebekah, Sarah, and Deborah, and three great granddaughters Virginia, Lilith, and Daisy. Her quick wit, gentle, and quiet nature was appreciated by the many people who crossed her path. She was loved and will be missed by all privileged to be part of her family.

A memorial service will be held at later. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org/donate) or to American Rivers (https://www.americanrivers.org/donate-now/).