Earl Upton Long

Earl Upton Long, age 81, passed away on April 7, 2022 in Bluffton, South Carolina.  Earl was affectionately known as Happy Pappy to his grandchildren and loved by many friends for his infectious smile, laugh and deep faith.  Earl is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sandra MacDonald Long and his brother Barney Long, his two children Christopher (Christy) Long and Carrie (Mark) Hawkins and his five grandchildren Wilder, Isabel, Lillian, Hunter and Ellie.  Earl’s parents predeceased him, as did his brother Jack and sister Linda.

Earl was born on July 4, 1940 in Louisville, Kentucky which imbued him with a patriotic love of his country and he looked forward to annual joint 4th of July and birthday celebrations. In his career, Earl was an early innovator of plastic piping (PVC) systems, later he worked as a respected Realtor in the Lowcountry until his recent semi-retirement. Earl was a longtime member of the Church of the Cross.  He was devoted to the mission of helping teenagers grow in their faith by bringing Young Life to Hilton Head Island & Bluffton while also working in Greenville with Young Life Capernaum, which creates spaces of belonging for teenagers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Sunday, April 24 at the Church of the Cross, 110 Calhoun Street, Bluffton, SC 29910 at 1:00 pm. Internment and reception immediately following the service.

As an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to:

Young Life at giving.younglife.org or YL HHIB, PO Box 22614, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925 with “in Memory of Earl Long” in the subject line or David’s Table at davids-table.networkforgood.com