Grace Olin Jordan was born on November 19, 1939, and grew up in Virginia Beach. She attended the College of William and Mary for two years before leaving to marry Stuart William Longworth, Jr. in 1959. Together, they had four children. Grace returned to college when their youngest started school to pursue her love of teaching. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia then taught elementary school in public schools in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Florida before she and Stu retired to North Carolina.

Grace loved spending time with her family, her cats, traveling, birdwatching, painting, and playing bridge. During retirement, she volunteered to teach adult learners to read – a process she found extremely rewarding.

Grace was preceded in death by her husband Stu (2005), daughter Suzanne (1963), and grandson Cole (2022). She is survived by daughters Katherine Horn and Jeanne Frazer; son Stuart William Longworth, III; grandsons Matthew Horn and Logan Longworth; step grandchildren Johnathon Frazer, Allison Correa Frazer, and Dustin Frazer; and step great-grandchildren Tyler, Kayleb, Gavyn, and Eastyn Frazer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Dereck Whittenburg Foundation for Education, or Cause for Paws of North Carolina.