Don Long

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Donald "Don" Charles Long (Althaus), age 81 - also affectionately known by his friends and family as "Donuts." The date of Don's passing was June 5, 2022 at 2:18 am. At the time of his death he was sleeping peacefully in his home in Escondido, California. In attendance were his wife Elizabeth G. "Betsy" Long, his daughter Jennifer Freeman and his sister Caroline Stevens. At the time, Don had been suffering from a rare form of Leukemia known as CMML which is what took his life. Don was born on May 7, 1941 to John William and Ethel Marie Althaus (Long) at Piqua Memorial Hospital, Piqua Ohio. He is survived by Betsy his wife of 30 years, son Ryan J. Althaus and daughter Jennifer Freeman. Ryan is married to Michelle and, together, they have six children, Lindsey, Alyssa, Dylan (his) and Andrew, Nicole, and Nicholas (hers). Jennifer is married to Michael Freeman and they have two children, Margaret and Andrew. Granddaughter Lindsey is married to Adam Garcia and they have two children, Levi and Noah. Don is also survived by sister Caroline Stevens and her husband John Stevens and brother John S. Althaus and his wife Irene Althaus. Uncle Donuts is also deeply loved by many nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews - Jeremy (Sarah), Elise (Chris), John Christian (Jessica), Kaj, Sarah Grace, Makenna, Arlo, and baby Felix as well as Christy (Eric), Debbie, Zandri, and Jacob. Don received a BA in English from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He received a Masters in English followed by a PhD in English from Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Shortly thereafter he married his first wife Ruth Ann. They lived in Zanesville, Ohio where they had two children, Ryan and Jen. Don taught English at Zanesville Community College. Later the family moved to Bolingbrook, Illinois and Don continued his teaching career as professor of English at several community colleges while also earning a Masters in Journalism from Northern Illinois University. In addition to teaching, Don served as the director of student newspapers at the colleges where he taught. After Don and Ruth Ann went their separate ways, he moved to Owensboro, KY. There he taught English, managed the student newspaper, and managed the PR department at Kentucky Wesleyan College. In Owensboro he met Betsy, who would later become his wife of 30 years. Don and Betsy moved to the Atlanta, GA area, where they were married on April 3, 1992. Don maintained a love of writing, reading, and journalism throughout his life. He taught English at local colleges, was a newspaper editor for a variety of local papers, managed college newspapers, mentored young journalists, and wrote for various magazines that dealt with communicating the effectiveness and novelty of various medical devices. Once retired, Don relocated with Betsy to Fort Myers, FL and then to San Diego, CA where he wrote columns for local newspapers. Though he made his living in academia and journalism, he did not live the life of a solitary writer. His palette of interests, hobbies, and extracurricular activities was broad. Athletic, curious, and smart, one never knew on what new "kick" he had embarked. In college he was a top ranked tennis player. He loved playing basketball "all out" with his friends, brother and son (with injuries not uncommon for players brave enough to join in!). He was an avid Chicago Bulls and Bears fan and filled a room in his home with Michael Jordan memorabilia. Our memories of Don include the times he was a caregiver. He periodically took care of his younger siblings - from infancy through their teen years - at his mother's request. He also cared for (and roughhoused with!) his grandkids, nieces, and nephews. At these times he was fun, nurturing, and compassionate. He was quite a gifted artist with talents related to painting, sculpting and pottery. He had a deep and abiding love for music with Bob Dylan being perhaps the artist he admired most (and who he was senior in age to by less than a month). His love of music developed into an ability to play the guitar, ukulele, and banjo, and over time he acquired an impressive collection which included many beautiful instruments. He also delved deeply into historical topics - the Civil War and World War II being of particular interest. In addition to dabbling in a myriad of interests, Don invested in his community by advancing two of his most enduring passions - literature and the arts. Most recently, he served as the President of both the Art Council of Southwest Florida and the Friends of Lakes Regional Library, Ft. Myers. But by far, Don will be remembered for his quick wit, fabulous sense of humor, great storytelling, and spot-on comic timing. He kept his friends and family in stitches for hours. Don often led with a joke - many of which were not suitable for "delicate" ears - which invariably left his audience rolling their eyes and groaning. A wonderful husband, son, father, brother, Pop Pop, and Uncle Donuts, Don was beloved and he reciprocated that love with various forms of nurturing and thoughtful wisdom. While Don will be greatly missed, many fond memories will keep him forever in our hearts and minds.