Paul Christopher Long's Obituary
Those we love don’t go away; they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near; still loved, still missed and very dear.
— Author Unknown
Forty-seven years ago, in Denison, Texas, an extraordinary, gentle soul, Paul Christopher Long, was born to parents, Gayle Long Powell and Mack Long. Never was a child more loved or more welcomed, not only by his parents and grandparents, but by an ever-growing family of aunts, uncles and cousins and many dear friends.
In a few short years, Paul would become a big brother, first to Julia in 1977, then to Jennifer in 1984. He took this important role to heart and was both friend and protector, from the early years in Sherman through the halcyon days of open fields, horses and fishing in Seagoville, where their 50 acres of land stretched forever and inspired many adventures. Paul adored his sisters, and they him.
Early in life Paul relished time spent with the guys – Dad and Pawpaw – whether they were fishing a new lake, preparing for the opening day of deer season, watching the horses race, or just being outdoors together. As he grew up, Paul loved the excitement of outdoor sports like snow skiing (black diamonds only please), water skiing and skateboarding and was always the one to go for it, trying the next challenging move until he mastered it.
Paul began school at Aiken Elementary in Richardson, Texas, and graduated from Richardson High School in 1994. In between, he attended Seagoville and Garland schools and First Baptist Academy. Later, while living and working in Gardendale, Texas, Paul received an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Arts, one of his favorite creative pursuits.
An unforgettable thread of ingenuity and creativity was woven through the colorful tapestry of his life. He could often be seen working with wood, either carving or building. He loved music and art, and he loved to play his guitar. He enjoyed hearing live music in Deep Ellum, and in more recent years, hearing his niece Olivia share her newest songs.
Paul Long may be remembered most for his loving, giving spirit and the simple yet penetrating love he felt and gave to his closest family and friends throughout his life. He was all of these things, and more: A patient listener. Hilarious, with a ready sense of humor. A natural Pied Piper and loved by children. An uncompromising, loyal friend. A hard worker. A lover of animals. Handsome, with a shining smile and an infectious laugh. A passionate enthusiast of ideas. Self-deprecating and humble. A true old soul. Irrepressible. Beyond kind. Always gentle. Full of love -- so very full of love. Mover of mountains. Healed. Paul will be sorely missed by all who loved and knew him.
Paul is survived by his beloved family: mother, Gayle Matula Powell, and stepfather Gerald Powell of Northlake, Texas; father, Mack C. Long III and stepmother, Nela Wells Long of Hawkins, Texas; sisters, Julie Long Hester and Travis Hester of Forney, Texas, and Jennifer Long Bedell and Casey Bedell of Seattle, Washington; stepbrothers, David Powell of Denver, Colorado, and Mark and Rashae Powell of Minneola, Kansas, and Pierce and Mary Keenan Moore and Paul Moore of Dallas; niece, Olivia Hester, and nephews, Ethan and Anderson Hester and Woodrow and Jack Bedell; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; beloved girlfriend Aimee Greene; and many longtime friends.
Paul Christopher Long's Celebration of Life service; to be officiated by the Reverend Casey Bedell will be held on Friday, September 9, 2022, at 2 p.m. in the Wildwood Chapel, located within the memorial park at Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park - 13005 Greenville Ave., Dallas, Texas 75243
Interment of ashes will take place nearby immediately after the service.
The family wishes to thank North Texas Cremation Society for their friendship.
Words of Faith and Comfort for Family and Friends
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Matthew 17:20
For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from
here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.
Romans 8:35, 37-39
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 14: 7-8
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we
die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C. S. Lewis
“The connections we make in the course of a life – maybe that’s what heaven is.” – Fred Rogers
“Unable are the Loved to die, for love is immortality.” – Emily Dickinson
“Something has spoken to me in the night...and told me that I shall die, I know not where. Saying:
‘To lose the earth you know for greater knowing;
to lose the life you have, for greater life;
to leave the friends you loved, for greater loving;
to find a land more kind than home, more large than earth.’ ”
– Thomas Wolfe, You Can’t Go Home Again
Walking with Grief
Do not hurry as you walk with grief;
it does not help the journey.
Walk slowly, pausing often;
do not hurry as you walk with grief.
Be not disturbed by memories that come
unbidden.
Swiftly forgive; and let Christ speak for you
unspoken words.
Unfinished conversation will be resolved in Him.
Be not disturbed.
Be gentle with the one who walks with grief.
If it is you, be gentle with yourself.
Swiftly forgive; walk slowly, pausing often.
Take time, be gentle, as you walk with grief.
– George MacDonald, from David Elginbrod
For Serenity
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things which should
be changed, and the Wisdom
to distinguish the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
if I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
– Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.
What’s your fondest memory of Paul?
What’s a lesson you learned from Paul?
Share a story where Paul's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Paul you’ll never forget.
How did Paul make you smile?
