Daniel Clemon Longest

In Memory - Daniel Clemon Longest
May 8, 1946 ~ March 18, 2022

Daniel Clemon Longest passed away on March 18, 2022, at home with his wife, Hope, and son, Glover.  He had bravely endured a brief battle with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Danny was the third son of Beaufort Brown Longest and Mary Teachey Faircloth Longest of Rose Hill, North Carolina.  He is predeceased by his son, Dan Longest, Jr.; two brothers, Philip Longest and James Patrick Longest; and his parents. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Hope; his son, Franklin Glover Longest; daughter-in-law, Tania Valdemoro Longest; grandson, Gavin (9) and granddaughter, Olivia (5), of Raleigh.

Danny attended Wallace-Rose Hill High School where he and many loved classmates graduated in 1964. This amazing group of friends has remained close over more than 50 years since graduation and have enjoyed many entertaining gatherings.  

Danny attended UNC and NC State where he met Hope Glover from Lake Waccamaw while she attended Meredith College in Raleigh. Danny joined the Air Force in 1967 and he and Hope were married in 1968. They lived in Biloxi, Mississippi where he was stationed. While in the Air Force, he discovered his career love of electronic engineering. Danny learned to operate and maintain cutting edge radar equipment and completed four years of service in Homestead, Florida.  He worked in electronic engineering with Wang Laboratories in Atlanta, Georgia; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Miami, Florida. He later worked with General Hydraulics and Ryder Systems also in Miami.

Danny was one of those blessed people who lived his dream.  In the fifth grade, his teacher, Mrs. Mallard, brought her class to Topsail Beach for the day.  At 15, Danny's close friend invited him to the beach again, and this time he truly fell in love…not with a girl but with Topsail.  His brother, Philip, and he built an oceanfront home in 1982 which their families enjoyed for vacations. Upon retirement in 2007 (to the Social Security person’s “why are you retiring?” he answered “because I can!”), he came to Topsail to begin construction on the first of two houses he and Hope would build and enjoy living in.  He enjoyed boating; spending time on the beach, especially with the grandchildren; music (with over 40K songs on his computer library); playing pool; and anything to do with electronics, computers, and space discovery. His best job of recent years was being a “toy” for his grandchildren.

Danny’s sense of humor always prevailed. Even as his cancer progressed, he jokingly commented about his weight loss to many, “there’s a skinny man inside me trying to get out, and he has”, and to Hope, “I’m going to make my Halloween movie early this year”! Danny has been lovingly described as a “gentle giant” by a friend and classmate, and as “one of the kindest men I have ever known” by a Topsail Beach friend.

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