Sheila Ellen Long

December 24, 1935 - February 3, 2021

Sheila Ellen Long passed away on February 3rd at her home in Schenectady. She was born on December 24, 1935, in Brooklyn, NY, the daughter of the late Katherine Davis and John W. Bowman. After graduating high school, she enlisted in the US Army, and was originally stationed at Fort Meade, MD. She later served the Army in Frankfurt, Germany, post-WWII. She married her second husband, David Johnson Long, Sr., a WWII veteran, on August 9, 1969, at the former St. John the Baptist church Sch'dy, NY. Both Mrs. and Mr. Long were active in neighborhood associations, civic activities and many community service organizations... Mrs. Long was a devout Christian woman and the former director of the City Mission Bible Club...She worked with area churches to send inner city youth to summer Bible camps for many years... Mrs. Long also taught Sunday school in Schenectady for many years at both St. John the Baptist and St. George's Episcopal Church... In recent years, she became a member of Duryee Memorial African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in Schenectady. She was an Honors graduate of Maria College. After receiving a degree in Early Childhood Education, she and her husband opened Little Sprouts Daycare that they operated for many years. She was predeceased by her husband, David, on July 1, 2008, and her step-brother, Andrew Griffiths (d. 23 Sept 2019) of Baltimore, MD. She loved arts & crafts, interactive plays, movies, farmers' markets, festivals, dancing, dining out, singing in Gospel choirs and travel. She is survived by her daughters, Denise (Joe) Ciccio of Westchester, NY and Claudette (Long) Fennicks, and four sons; Steven, David, Jr., Joseph (Jennifer) Long, and Erick (April) Long. She is also survived by several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and foster children who were raised in the late couple's home — including Kenneth Spriggs, Jerome Simpson, David Otati, and Je'annine Quarles, to name a few. Calling hours will be held on Friday, February 12, 2021 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am at Lights Funeral Home 1428 State St, Schenectady, NY 12304. Following public calling hours, private funeral services will be held and available for live stream viewing at 11:30 am officiated by Pastor Nicolle Harris of Duryee Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, streaming address https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH0_QMGWyLU&authuser=0 Following private funeral services, everyone is invited to join the family for an outdoor military color guard ceremony and final committal by Pastor Nicolle Harris that will be held at 2:00 pm at Saratoga National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd, Schuylerville, NY 12871. Procession will be leaving Lights Funeral Home at 12:45 pm to arrive by 1:45 pm at the National Cemetery. To express condolences visit www.sbfuneralhome.com