Dr. Paul Curtis Long of Yukon died on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the age of 90. A native of Oklahoma City, he was born September 13, 1927 to Lola Belle Ewing Long and Claude Curtis Long, and practiced veterinary medicine for nearly fifty years. Following his graduation from Oklahoma State University in 1956, where he earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine, Dr. Long moved his wife and three children to Roanoke, Illinois (Woodford County) where primarily he practiced large animal medicine. In 1965, the family returned to Oklahoma City, where Dr. Long maintained a small animal practice at Dickensbrae Animal Hospital on Northwest 39th Street. He practiced until his retirement in 2002. His clients consistently praised Dr. Long for his honesty and fairness, as well as his creative and compassionate care for animals. Dr. Long graduated from Putnam City High School in 1945, where he was president of the senior class. Following his subsequent service as a corporal in the US Army Air Corps, he married his high school sweetheart, Anna Lee Johnston, in 1948. They were married for 70 years. A lifelong Southern Baptist, Dr. Long was a faithful member of Oklahoma Citys Putnam City Baptist Church for fifty-three years, and had attended Trinity Baptist Church in Oklahoma City with his family as a child. His Christian faith and trust in God shaped his core values and guided his decisions all his life, as he sought to exemplify the compassion of Jesus Christ. Although a quiet man, Dr. Long never shied from leadership endeavors in support of children, the community, or causes he believed in. In Roanoke, Illinois, he was instrumental in creating and operating the summer "Swim for Fun" program that enabled the towns children to participate in swimming lessons and recreational swimming at a nearby towns pool. He was a devoted supporter of Putnam City Schools in northwest Oklahoma City, and led the effort to organize his graduating classs 50th reunion, along with helping to hold several subsequent all-school reunions. He faithfully wrote, edited and publishedwith his wifes able assistancea monthly alumni newsletter in which he related key events and amusing stories from school days in the 1940s. Most of these tales were gleaned from conversations with fellow Putnam City graduates of his era, known as "The Lunch Bunch," who gathered once a month at a local restaurant. An enthusiastic donor to the Putnam City Schools Foundation, Dr. Long and Mrs. Long have been honored for their generosity at the foundations annual Wall of Fame fundraising event. In 2004, Dr. and Mrs. Long moved to Spanish Cove Retirement Village, where Dr. Long embraced an active post-retirement social life. For several years, he and Mrs. Long organized the programs for the popular Friday morning Coffee Klatch, in which residents and guests shared their knowledge, experiences, and interests over coffee and donuts. He also was involved in campus improvement projects, including rebuilding the communitys gazebo. With a deep love for the American West, Dr. Long found endless inspiration and enrichment in wilderness hiking, river rafting, and mountain climbing. The Grand Canyon was a favorite destination whenever his wife or one of his children or grandchildren was able to accompany him. He set a personal goal to reach as many of the highest peaks in the lower 48 states as possible. He accomplished at least thirteen, although his list also included a fourteenth summitthe Washington Monument in the District of Columbia! The lowest natural peak was Mount Sunflower in Kansas at 4,039 feet, and the highest was Mount Whitney in California at 14,494 feet. Other impressive accomplishments above 10,000 feet included Colorados Mount Elbert (14,433 ft.), Nevadas Boundary Peak (13,140 ft.), New Mexicos Wheeler Peak (13,161 ft.), and Arizonas Mount Humphreys (12,637 ft.). Those who accompanied him on these treks expressed that Dr. Long, upon reaching a mountain summit, had a habit of praising God with a quiet, heartfelt chorus of "How Great Thou Art." In addition to his wife, Anna Lee Johnston Long, Dr. Long is survived by his three children: Curtis M. Long, Esq., and his wife, Janie, of Tulsa; Laura Ann Long, and her husband, Dr. David Smith, of Irvine, California; and Sidney Allen Long and his wife, Kelly, of Leander, Texas; seven grandchildren, Syd Long of Portland, Oregon; Katie Cunningham and her husband, Michael Fusco, of Irvine, California; Christopher Long and his wife, Kristin, of Los Alamos, New Mexico; David Long and his wife, Jessica, of Austin, Texas; Beth Murray and her husband, Jake, of Irvine, California; Lacey Kavanagh and her husband, Patrick, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Natalie Myhra and her husband, Matt, of Pflugerville, Texas, and Joshawa Paladino of Leander, Texas; and five great-grandchildren: Axel Finn Sunday, Mathilda Long, Payton Adalaide Myhra, Morgan Lee Fusco, and Greta Long. Preceding Dr. Long in death was his sister, Dr. Jean Long Lombardo, of Oklahoma City, his only sibling. Burial is in Memorial Park Cemetery, Oklahoma City, following a family graveside service. A memorial celebration will be held Saturday, September 15, 10:30am at Putnam City Baptist Church, OKC. Memorials may be made to the Putnam City Schools Foundation, 5401 NW 40th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73122, http://pcf4kids.org; or to Putnam City Baptist Church, 11401 N. Rockwell Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73162. Memorial Service