James E. Long

James E. Long (Jim) was 74 years old at the time of his passing on Sunday, January 15th, 2023. He died at his home in Gresham, Oregon after a valiant fight against the incurable heart disease Amyloidosis.

Jim was born in Portland, Oregon and moved frequently as a child; with his mother Geneva Heinneman (Proctor). Eventually they settled in Gresham where Jim attended Centennial High School and met the girl who would become the love of his life, Victoria Heisler. After their 1966 graduation, Jim joined the Marine Corp where he served in the reserves for 5 years. Jim and Vicki married on July 21st, 1967. They settled in Gresham, Oregon and welcomed a daughter in 1970 and a son in 1972. Jim obtained a Fire Science degree and was employed by the District 10 Fire Department and then the City of Portland when it annexed District 10 in 1984. As a training officer, Lieutenant Jim Long trained countless men and women to be life saving first responders. He retired from the city in 1998. While Jim was a firefighter, he also owned his own business doing concrete, remodeling, and new home building. After his retirement from firefighting, he became a construction superintendent and worked for several different large companies. One of these companies took him and Vicki to the island of Maui, Hawaii to reside for a year. Jim worked until 2018 when he and Vicki moved to Arizona to search for a warmer climate. They resided there until late 2022. Jim and Vicki came back to Gresham so that Jim could be close to his family as his life came to its end.

Jim is survived by his wife Vicki, mother Geneva Heinneman, sister Shavonne Gosson, daughter Kim Sparber (Rick), son Paul Long, and grandchildren Han Jasper (Tyler) and Austin Lind. Jim’s family, brothers and sisters of the fire service, and all of his friends will remember him as a hardworking, honest, loving man with an amazing sense of humor. There was nothing better than sitting down to a good meal and cocktails with Jim and listening to his stories. He loved delicious food until the end and would often declare a food item, “the best I’ve ever had.”

A celebration of life will be held for Jim on Saturday, March 25th from 1pm to 4pm at The Gresham Elk's Lodge. 3330 NE Division Street, Gresham, OR 97030.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Jim’s name.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.batemancarrollfunerals.com for the Long family.