Marion Alfonso Long was born on October 19, 1954, in Richmond Virginia and departed this life to be with our Lord and Savior on March 30, 2023. He was at peace and surrounded by his loved ones. Now at rest, he joins his loved ones in glory—most notably his parents, James Long Sr. and Lucille J. Long as well as his sister, Barbara L. Johnson. Marion received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1976. His very resilient work ethic began at the age of twelve when he had a newspaper route. Marion’s passion for hard work led him to retire from the State of Virginia after 30 years, and he also retired from the National Fire Data Center, an interagency department of the U.S. Fire Administration and FEMA. He loved analyzing data and compiling statistics. He often described himself as “a numbers guy”. His passion for numbers amazed many because he kept “the stats” on almost every aspect of his life. Marion also participated in training fire service personnel and program managers on data management and use throughout the country. He was considered a subject matter expert on fire data analysis and fire statistics, which allowed him to travel to all 50 states. He has been featured in the Firehouse Newsletter and has recorded several videos sharing his expertise with future fire professionals. Marion served in leadership roles on the National Fire Incident Reporting System board for over 30 years. Marion was a dedicated athlete and participated in both Richmond’s half and full marathons. Marion also participated in the Marine Corps Marathon in 1993 and the Philadelphia Marathon in the 1990s. He began running in marathon events in 1989 and participated in his last event in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from participating in marathons in 2020 and 2021. He kept careful records of all his runs for 17 years and ran over 25,143 miles during that time period (for reference the circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24,860 miles). Marion was a recognized scout leader for the Boy Scouts of America in 1997 when his sons were participating in the Boy Scouts. He also proudly coached his daughter Sarah’s recreation basketball team for one season. Marion was a faithful member of Zion Baptist Church, South Richmond, since childhood. He served on the Diaconate for over 25 yrs. Marion was a dedicated servant leader. He also delivered a unique weekly inspirational biblical phone voice message called “Wonderful Wednesdays” for several years. He was a devout Christian and loved the Lord. His love for his family was evident and he put God and family first. He read his Bible daily and memorized his favorite scriptures including I Corinthians 13: 4-11 and Proverbs 3:5. Marion married Brenda Houston from Merrick, Long Island, New York, on February 29, 1980. He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife and three children, William M. Long, David B. Long, and Sarah E. Long; brothers, Elder James Long Jr. and Rev. Dr. Thomas Long (Birda); sisters, Julia Conley and Roxanne Jefferson (Randy); aunt, Theo Jones; nieces, Adanta Johnson, Juanita Sheree-Long Giles, Vonda Johnson, Duanda Thomas, Matesha Coleman, Demetris Campbell, Andretta Long, and Shameka Jefferson; nephews, Rodney Long, Duane Thomas (Debbie), Edward Johnson, Jr., Dennis Watson and Cornelius Jefferson III; great nieces and nephews; cousins, Thomas Long, Rev. Michael Jones, Sr. and Raymond Jones Jr.; sister-in-law, Patricia Houston; brother-in-law, Lucius Houston; other relatives, his Zion Baptist Church Family and many friends.

For over a decade Marion wrote a yearly Christmas letter providing family updates to friends and family. He called it the Long’s Chronicle. He would close the letter with a reflection and words of inspiration for the next year. Below are his final words on the last Long’s Chronicle he penned in December 2021. May we keep these words and his blessed memory in our hearts: "Year 2022 can be full of growth and opportunities.” Be watchful and ready for the doors that will open for you and be reflective and thankful of those doors that will close. Our hope for you and your family for the new year is that you may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that you may have the full riches of complete understanding (Colossians 2:2-5), that you continue to set big goals, that you believe in others and love one another, and that you set good examples for others to follow. Stay faithful, focused, helpful, meaningful, prayerful, safe, and truthful.”

Remains rest at Scott’s Funeral Home, 115 E. Brookland Park Blvd. where viewing will be held from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday, April 13, 2023. The family will receive friends from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Friday, April 14 at Second Baptist Church, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. followed by funeral services at 11 a.m. Rev. Thomas Long officiating. Interment Dale Memorial Park, 10201 Newbys Bridge Road, Chesterfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marion’s memory can be made to John Hopkins Comprehensive Brain Tumor Center, 1800 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21287 or Zion Baptist Church, of South Richmond Children's and Youth Ministry, 2006 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224.

To access the livestream on YouTube one can either use this URL: https://m.youtube.com/@secondbaptistchurchsouthsi5852/featured

Once the page loads, click on LIVE 10-15mins before the service start-time and one should see the video icon with Livestream.

Alternatively, one can: 1. In your browser window go to the Second Baptist Church website at www.2bcsouthside.org 2. Once on the website, scroll to the bottom and click the YouTube link that is beneath the “SERMONS ON YOUTUBE” heading 3. Once the page loads click on “Live” 4. You should be presented with a video screen labelled for the funeral of Deacon Long