Ronald Herman Long

Ronald H. Long passed away on September 14, 2026.

Ron was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and lived in Florda since 1978. He also lived in Ohio, Texas, and Arizona, before moving from Key West in 1998 to live a comfortable life of retirement in Brevard County.

In his early years, Ron attended North Carolina State University and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force upon college graduation in 1963. During pilot training, he met and married Sondra Taylor, who became a wonderful wife, mother, and compassionate social worker.

Ron served his country for more than 21 years as an Air Force officer and pilot. He was a Vietnam veteran whose decorations included three Meritorious Service medals, the Air Medal, the Air Force Commendation medal, and various medals for serving in Southeast Asia. Ron was a true patriot, who also loved aviation.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1984, Ron went back to college and completed an undergraduate degree in business management, followed by a master’s degree in business administration. Ron then began his second professional career as a college academic advisor that spanned more than ten years at the University of West Florida in Pensacola.

After moving to the Melbourne area in 1998, Ron returned to his boyhood hobby of building model airplanes and learned to fly radio-controlled models at the Viera flying field. Ron spent many days there with his friends, flying airplanes and recounting old “war stories.”

Ron is survived by Sondra, their four children – Scott, Mark, Kelly, and Ron, plus eleven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.