LONGINO, Hugh Alvin, Jr.

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ December 12, 2008 Heaven's choir has a new bass singer. Hugh Alvin Longino Jr. went to join the choir in heaven Nov. 21, 2008, after a hard fought struggle with cancer. He was born Nov. 14, 1923, to the Rev. Hugh Alvin Longino and Ella Belle Simkins in Higgins, Texas. He graduated from Munday High School in 1941 and with the start of World War II went to work in an aircraft manufacturing plant in Detroit, Mich., to support the U.S. military efforts overseas. In 1947 he graduated from McMurry College in Abilene, Texas, with a degree in business administration. In his time at McMurry, he was honored as sophomore- and senior-class president, Grand Sovereign of Ko Sari social club and president of FTA; SCRA. He went to work for Paymaster Feed and Seed in Abilene, Texas, upon his graduation. Then on June 6, 1949, he married Geneva Walker with whom he had four children. Paymaster moved him from Abilene to El Paso, Texas, to work for Western Cotton Oil, but after a short time he used his electrical engineering experience with the aircraft manufacturing company to take advantage of an opportunity to go to work for Raytheon in their "Missile Systems Division." At White Sands Missile Range with Raytheon, he was a pioneer in the development of missile system computer testing programs. His work at Raytheon took him to Oxnard, Calif., Cape Canaveral, Fla., and Bedford, and Andover, Mass., to work on projects including the Hawk Missile System, Gemini Space Program and Sam D Missile System to name a few. He and Geneva divorced in 1968 and a couple of years later he retired from Raytheon. He then married Myrtie Josephine Sanders in 1970 and was happily married for 26 years. In the later years of her life, he cared for her until Feb. 11, 1996, when she lost a battle with cancer. In April 1998 Hugh married Margaret Clair Shirley, a widowed high school sweetheart he met at the Crowell High School reunion. They almost immediately fell in love and he happily spent the rest of his days with her. Hugh was an avid hunter and fisherman and his love for the outdoors kept him active throughout his life. He was either off hunting antelope in Arizona or fishing for king salmon in Alaska. In his later years he would spend his winters on the Gulf Coast of Texas for the mild weather, sandy beaches and great fishing. Hugh loved God, living his entire life as a Christian, and was involved in numerous churches. He extensively traveled but was always faithful to attend a local assembly wherever he went. His primary churches of attendance were Grace Methodist Church of El Paso, Texas; Community Presbyterian Church of Springerville, Texas; Community Presbyterian Church of Port Aransas, Texas; First United Methodist Church of Crowell, Texas; First United Methodist Church of Anchorage, Alaska; and the United Methodist Church of Sitka, Alaska. He was a very loving and compassionate man and he will be dearly missed. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Claire (Shirley) Longino; brother Harold Longino; sister Lenore McGuire; children Jeff Longino, Margaret Galanin and David Longino; stepchildren Sharon Cottle, Dennis Sanders, Shirley Oates, Debra Gobar, Robert (Buz) Rasberry and Peggy Rasberry, along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his son Tom Longino, brother Ted Longino and wife Josie Longino.