Lloyd Duane Long made the journey home to be with his Savior, the Good Shepherd, in the house of the Lord on June 12, 2023.

Born and raised in Gaston County, NC, Duane learned the importance of family, faith, community service and hard work. Being the son of a Baptist minister, his mother, Jean Heafner and father, Harold Long were instrumental in the local community. Duane learned a strong work ethic under his Uncle Bill at the local Shrimp Boat restaurant. After attending Gaston College, he had a chance meeting with a trucking company that saw him moving to Charleston, SC, where he met and married Pat in 1977, and had their son, Brooks.

Soon after, they moved to Raleigh, NC where he worked for Black and Decker before starting their family trucking company, Long Transportation in 1984, later named Longistics.

Along with starting his own business, Duane became very involved in the community, both through city development and charitable organizations. He was highly involved in the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce serving as its Chair overseeing local economic empowerment as part of the Board of Directors. After serving on the Chamber's board for more than 15 years, Duane served as Chair of other committees, including Co-Chairman of the Regional Transportation Alliance. Duane served on the board of the Research Triangle Regional Partnership, Chair of the North Carolina Railroad Company and founder of the North Carolina China Center.

Being involved in the trucking industry both nationally and internationally, Duane was elected Chairman of the American Trucking Associations (ATA) in 2014, and served on multiple committees for more than 15 years. He participated in national trucking associations around the United States for more than 25 years and is a past chairman of the North Carolina Trucking Association (NCTA) where he co-founded the NCTA Foundation.

Duane and professional tennis player, Tim Wilkison, formed Raleigh Sports Promotions in 1989, where they developed a local tennis team under Billie Jean King's World Team Tennis as well as the charitable organization, Raleigh Edge Kids Foundation, helping underprivileged youth.

As a big fan and supporter of the NCSU Wolfpack, Longistics provided trucks and trailers for more than 25 years to the Wolfpack football team. Duane was also a supporter of the football team’s chaplaincy program. You could see Duane cheering on Wolfpack teams and events for more than 30 years.

There were many charitable organizations that Duane appreciated over the years, from the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, MAP International, FCA, Boy Scouts, Foundation of Hope, the Food Bank, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Lung Transplant Foundation and many others.

A loving husband and father, Duane always placed faith, family and friends above all else. He always made sure to make time for his son, Brooks, serving as his baseball team's coach for many years, and being a constant presence throughout his life. He had a special bond and relationship with his wife, Pat, who was both his partner in business and life. She was by his side as he transitioned peacefully.

Duane joins his loving dog, Joe, and he now resides in the hearts of his wife Pat of 46 years; his son, Brooks and daughter-in-law, Hsin Ming. Duane is survived by his brother Philip; his sister, Allison Steele; and many nieces and nephews.

The Long family appreciates the love and support over the last several years during Duane’s declining health of his friends who he loved very much. The Long family would also like to share their appreciation for Leslie Brown and Nancy Marlowe for their caretaking.

A passage that Duane loved was in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

There will be a private service held at the Historic Oakwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make any donations to one of Duane’s favorite; the Foundation of Hope, 3108 Glen Royal Rd, Raleigh, NC, 27617.