Joanne Long

On Saturday, August 3, 2024, Joanne G. Long passed away peacefully, surrounded by family in Missoula, Montana, at the age of 92. Joanne was the loving wife of “Jack” Howard Long and the mother of Debra Long and Terri Long McGillis. She was born on December 9, 1932, to Glen H. Ailport and Elsie Naomi Swanson Ailport. As the fourth of eleven children, she was a lifelong resident of the greater Missoula area.

Joanne was a breath of fresh air, with her soft aqua blue eyes and her classic friendly smile that encouraged everyone to live in the moment. Her colorful panache and zest for life wrapped a rainbow around those fortunate enough to know her, reflecting the vibrant colors of her personality. In her formative years, she was well-provided for, thanks to her father’s love for hunting and fishing and her mother’s skillful Swedish baking.

Joanne married Montana entrepreneur Jack Long, and together they created a thriving life in the Montana and Idaho business climate. With energy and creativity, they became the number one supplier of logs for Van Evans lumber mills, operating 90 logging trucks and timber camps in Idaho and Montana. Their success in the timber industry propelled them into the machinery business, eventually owning Caterpillar heavy equipment dealerships in Montana, Idaho, and Washington.

During the cold, long winters in Montana, Joanne brightened her surroundings by creating stained glass pieces, oil and watercolor paintings, and engaging in quilting, cross-stitching, and woodcarving. She cherished every moment spent attending her grandson Jack McGillis’s basketball games and her granddaughters Courtney and Macall McGillis’s competitive cutting horse events.

Reflecting on her life inspires those she touched. Joanne was a powerful source of good energy, positive thought, and pride. She always encouraged education, achievement, and accomplishment—values that will continue to resonate through eternity, as her presence radiates in the passionate love she had for her family, treasured friends, and her PEO Chapter AM.

Joanne is survived by her daughter Terri Long McGillis, granddaughters Macall McGillis and Courtney McGillis, grandson Angus “Jack” McGillis and his wife Jamie McGillis, and great-grandchildren Chip McGillis-Seidensticker, Channing McCollum, Mac McCollum, Max McGillis, and Mia McGillis.