Florence Long

Memorial services will be held Sunday, May 15th at 3 pm, at St Luke Presbyterian Church, 3001 Bell Avenue, Amarillo, Texas. Flossie"s family will be home at 7808 Legend Avenue to meet visitors on Saturday, May 14, between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. Florence Jean Long passed away on May 10th, 2011, of a heart attack. She had just celebrated her 89th birthday. She moved to Amarillo almost 20 years ago along with her husband Harold E. Long, so they could spend their retirement years close to family. Florence Jean"s beloved sister and lifelong friend, Charlotte Brantley of Canyon, preceded her in death by only 4 weeks. The two sisters had earlier lost their husbands, Harold Long and Royal Brantley. Florence Jean, known to so many friends as "Flossie", was a bright, multitalented lady possessed of grace and loveliness that lasted her whole life. She was a warm and loving wife, mother, sister, aunt and friend. She was also a highly successful professional woman who excelled in many endeavors. She considered everything in life a blessing. There were sorrows and losses, too; she traversed those times with strength, serenity and faith. Florence Jean Rugel was born to Charles E. Rugel and Susie Jean Casselberry Rugel on May 7th, 1922. Their family was joined in 1923 by her sister Charlotte and in 1925 by a brother, Charles E. Rugel II. They lived in San Marcos, Hays County Texas, throughout her youth. She finished high school and enrolled at Southwest Texas State Teacher"s College in San Marcos (now Texas State ), graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in at the age of 18, and a Master of Arts in History at age 19. She taught history and music at the San Marcos Baptist Academy from 1941-1943. She was teaching violin at the Texas School for the Blind in Austin in 1944 when she met and married Lieutenant Harold Eugene Long, who was stationed near Austin serving in the Army Air Corps. After the war, the couple lived in Austin while Harold studied for his Engineer"s degree at the University of Texas. Flossie taught music and played violin in the Austin Symphony, serving as the orchestra"s concert mistress. Following Harold"s graduation in Architectural Engineering in 1949, Flossie and Harold stayed in Austin for several years, building a new home that Harold designed. They subsequently moved to Dallas, briefly to Wichita Kansas, then returned to Dallas where they lived for several more years with their two children. The couple were active in St. Mark"s Presbyterian Church in Dallas, where Harold served as an Elder of the congregation and sang in the choir, while Flossie played organ. The Long family moved again, this time to Colorado, eventually settling in Denver in 1960. Flossie returned to teaching, this time in the subjects of History and Social Studies. She also continued her musical performance with the Denver Businessman"s Symphony. The family were active members at Montview and Wellshire Presbyterian Churches. Flossie served in the Denver Public Schools for almost 30 years, as a teacher, counselor and student government sponsor, and then in leadership positions. She was appointed as Dean at Rishel Junior High, Assistant Principal at Abraham Lincoln High School, and then Principal of Byers and Kunsmiller Junior High schools. For the almost-20 years that she lived in Amarillo, Flossie was an active member of St. Luke Presbyterian Church where she served on the Session and sang in the choir. Together with friends, she was a regular visitor to homebound congregation members, bringing cheer and conversation to everyone she saw. She loved to visit with people, and felt greatly blessed by the friends and family in her life. In addition to her husband, sister and brother in law, she was preceded in death by her brother Charles Rugel and her half-sister Annie Marie Rugel Williams. She is survived by daughter Sharon Lon