Daryl P. Long.
GROVELAND—Daryl P. Long, 75, passed away on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at the home he shared with his wife, Tina (Lucy E.) Fuller. He was born in New Brunswick, NJ, on January 26, 1948, son of the late Alfred and Kathryn Page Long.
Daryl graduated from Annapolis High School in 1966. He briefly attended the University of Maryland and was drafted into the United States Army in 1968. Upon returning from Germany, he trained to work in the burgeoning computer industry as a Field Service Representative with Digital Equipment Corporation in Westchester, NY. His knowledge of computers and experience with customers soon earned him an invitation to join the central engineering group at Digital’s headquarters in Maynard, Massachusetts. As a product manager he was instrumental in the development of Digital’s product line of PDP-11s which became the most successful minicomputers in history. In the 1980s, Daryl was a senior manager in VAX “supermini” systems which replaced the PDP-11 and cemented Digital’s place as a leading vendor in the computer industry. While at Digital, Daryl received his MBA, with honors, from Boston University. After Digital, Daryl’s knowledge, experience and hard work contributed to the success of Compaq, Hewlett Packard, and later EMC. His intelligence and hard work were always evident. His sense of humor, camaraderie and abiding kindness was a bright light for everyone who knew him.
Daryl loved gathering with family and made these occasions lively and memorable. Friends, neighbors, and family could count on his helping hands with tasks and projects. He loved sharing his interests and skills with his children; hunting for fossils, teaching them to ski, building a tree house, and zip line, participating in scouts and sports, and leading a group in Odyssey of the Mind. The family traveled to hike the Grand Canyon, explore caves in Pennsylvania, ski, and visit France and Mexico. In preparation for retirement, Daryl and Tina bought an R pod camp trailer and took two trips across the country to national and state parks, enjoying the beauty of America. Having grown up in the Washington, DC area, Daryl was always interested in history and politics. He was a proud liberal, promoting civil rights, civil liberties, democracy and free enterprise.
Daryl is survived by his loving wife and high school sweetheart, Tina Fuller; his children: Travis Long, Kristine Long and Kelly Long and his sister Susan Lorensen; Andrew and Elisabeth Clark, and their daughter, Hazel; Stephen Clark, Elaine Balutis and their son Pearson; Geoffrey and Cari Clark, and their son Wesley. He is predeceased by the mother of his children, Kathleen Hughes Long; sisters Tracy Ellen Dirkes and Sterling Creager; and his step-father Ian Patrick.
Daryl was an early supporter of the Cogswell Art Center initiative, and gave generously to Donors Choose to support local teachers. Through EforAll (Entrepreneurship for All), Daryl mentored the owners of the very successful Purple Carrot Bread Company in Lowell.
In memory of Daryl, donations may be made to Creative Haverhill to support the Cogswell Art Center at creativehaverhill.org or to the Haverhill Education Foundation at haverhilleducationfoundation.org.
A Celebration of Life will be private and at the convenience of the family. Arrangements are by the H.L. Farmer & Sons Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Haverhill-Bradford. To share a memory or for more information, please visit farmerfuneralhomes.com.