Obituary of Richard W. Longo
My name is Richard Longo. On May 17th, 2026, I finally freed myself from the uncompromising embrace of Alzheimer’s disease…too bad I had to die to do it. I was 64 years old.
I was born September 5th, 1961 at Manchester Hospital. A vibrant toddler until age 5 or 6, when I contracted a severe case of tonsillitis and mononucleosis. My tonsils and adenoids swelled, blocking the oxygen to my brain for several minutes. I never was the same after. Even though I might not have had much or did much, I enjoyed living. People would say I was a “gentle giant” with a big heart and positive attitude.
Reading, math and social activities would always be my weaknesses. I was sent to the Gengras Center in West Hartford for special schooling and eventually in 1981 I graduated from Glastonbury High with a special education diploma.
I never smoked, drank or touched drugs. In fact, I’ve never been out on a date. Sports, music, cars and cats were my favorites. Through good times and bad…mostly bad…I stuck with the Red Sox and Dallas Cowboys.
For music, it was the oldies. Well, they weren’t that old when I first heard them. Elvis, the Beach Boys and Taylor Swift…. oh yeah, especially Taylor. The musician Usher said he could “name a tune by hearing one note” …so could I.
My cars and Tacoma pickup were my joys. Unfortunately, I did hit a few “bumpers” in my travels and those darn deer liked to jump on my hood for some reason. The citizens of Glastonbury probably breathed a sigh of relief when I had to give up driving.
Then there were my cats. I can’t even talk about them because I miss them so much.
I lived with my parents, Felix and Charlotte Longo (of Grayledge Farm), until they passed away. My brother George departed this world sometime between mom and dad. John and his wife Lynn, helped me get a rental in Manchester until Roy and his wife Barbara got me back to Glastonbury in a condo at Hale Farms.
John helped me get my first big job at Adams Mill restaurant in Manchester. Joe Malloy, the chef, trained me to be a cook. Joe use to call me “Gato”, he knew I loved cats. I worked for Tony and Deb Scarpace for 33 years never missing a scheduled shift. I definitely made John look good. Tony and Deb treated me like family. I delivered 800 Hartford Courant papers with dad for 17 years while at the Mill. I didn’t get much sleep back then. Don’t have to worry about that now.
A couple of the best memories were with George and the Smith brothers riding 4 wheelers in Maine and traveling to California with John and his two sons, Chip and Mark, to see Roy and Barbara.
All in all, I’m a lucky guy because I had sister-in-laws, cousins and friends who cared for me. My cousin Beatrice (Bea) Longo of Pennsylvania was always there for me. She called me every Sunday and boy did I love her gift boxes. My godmother Evelyn Muldoon of Rocky Hill well, let me just say, you couldn’t ask for a better godmother.
The last 18 months of my life were at Salmon Brook skilled nursing facility in Glastonbury. I will always be grateful to Wayne, Tara, Anita, Margret and the many others who watched over me.
I do not have the words to express my gratitude to George Sercombe. He visited me often and took me out for baby back ribs. He was a family friend who became a brother.
Finally, if anyone is wondering how I am doing or feeling? To that I say:
“I’M GOOD”
All services will be private. Memorial donations to Alzheimer Association (www.alz.org)