William Clyde Long

Published 11:29 pm Sunday, October 8, 2006

Mr. William Clyde Long, 80, of Chatsworth, passed away Friday afternoon, Oct. 6, 2006, at Murray Medical Center after an extended illness.

Clyde was born June 11, 1926, in Murray County. He lived his entire life in Chatsworth and Murray County except fore the 2 and a half years that he served his country in World War II as a recruiting officer in the U.S. Army in Hawaii.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Foster Long and Ellen Estelle Davis Long; maternal grandparents, the Rev. John Franklin Davis, founder of Smyrna Baptist Church and Missouri Henderson Davis; paternal grandparents, Knight Long and Ava Dillard Long; two brothers, Arvin Long who died at age of 5 and Jesse Ragan Long; one sister, Margaret Long Peeples; a great-grandson, Samuel Lee Brock.

Clyde is survived by his wife of 58 years, Rose Mary Waters Long; two daughters and sons-in-law, Patricia Clydene and Gary Brock and Rebecca Lynn and Terry D. McAfee; six grandchildren and spouses, Jodi Michelle and Craig Matter of Daphne, Ala., William Lee and Julie Brock of Dalton, Michael Jason and Amanda Waters, Steven Craig and Dani Brock of Chatsworth, Brittney Laine and Benji McConkey of Calhoun, Rebekah Rosanne Jordan of Chatsworth; stepgrandson, Edward McAfee of Atlanta; 13 great-grandchildren, Brock, Addison and Mary Kathlyn Matter of Daphne, Ala., Will and Jack Brock of Dalton, Brianna, Jordan and Michael Waters, Rylee and Reagan Brock of Chatsworth and Hinton, Ladd and Laine McConkey of Calhoun; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Virginia and C.L. Garland, Ava Nell Long, Bernard Peeples and sister-in-law, Edna Earl Long of Chatsworth; nieces, nephews and special friends.

After returning from the Army, Clyde was employed by Georgia and Southern Talc Cos. as office manager where he worked for 27 years. He also was known as a home and land developer throughout Murray and Whitfield counties. An entrepreneur developing many small businesses: Glenn, Peeples and Long Construction, W.C. Long Co. (talc import from Japan) Otasco Store, Building Supply Co., North Georgia Construction, Brooks, Brown and Long (real estate) Foremost Leasing Co. (trucking), Aspen Carpet, Direct Trucks (leasing and hauling), AAA Loopers (manufacturing tufting items for carpet industry), Fincher and Long (Realtors and investment), Chatheton Terrace (subdivision – Long and Long), Chatheton Terrace II (subdivision), Fincher and Long (Spring Place Heights subdivision), 34 acres on Colonial Hills Drive where he built five homes and remodeled two, and Bryson, Long and Poag (industrial park.)

Clyde was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Chatsworth. He served on the board of directors of Dalton Federal Bank for many years and the advisory board of Decatur Federal. An avid golfer, he was on the first board of directors of Spring Place Golf and Country Club. He served four years on the Chatsworth City Council and was instrumental in getting the first Chatsworth-Murray County Recreation Center and swimming pool.

Services are today at 3 p.m. at the chapel of Peeples Funeral Home.

Burial will be in Murray Memorial Gardens.

The family received friends on Sunday.

In lieu of flowers, make donations to Chatsworth First Baptist Church.

Peeples Funeral Home and Crematory of Chatsworth is in charge of arrangements.