July 1st - 2021.
We are very pleased to announce - on the one-year anniversary of San Francisco's Alex Long Day - our family's partnership with Walk San Francisco. Walk SF is an exceptional local non-profit dedicated to advocating for safer San Francisco streets. They are one of Alex's favorite charities.
To honor Dad, Walk SF has created a special A Long Walk through some of his favorite places here in San Francisco. A $50 charitable donation gets you a digital map of the route, turn by turn directions, and a year membership with Walk San Francisco. You can find further information on this GoFundMe page.
Our family is planning on a group hike of the route on Saturday, August 7th with refreshments for the walkers at our home in SF. Send us an email if you're interested in joining us!
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The Long Family mourns Alexander Blaikie Long who died peacefully at his San Francisco home on October 29, 2020 of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gerhig’s Disease. In his 77 years, Alex dedicated his time to solving human problems and improving the human condition. To his family, Alex was a loving and playful husband, father, and grandfather, whose memory will live on to provide an example of what it means to be diligent, to be an informed and active citizen, and to be a generous and kind soul. To his broader community, Alex’s intellectual curiosity, thoughtfulness, and quiet strength manifested in a trusted advisor and stalwart friend.
Alex was born on January 16, 1943 in New York, NY to Drs Louis Long and Lillian Matilda Dick. Because Lillian was a professor at Columbia, Alex was fortunate to grow up in a building owned by the University. This home became the breeding ground for his curiosity and drive to solve problems.While he constantly interacted with famous intellectuals upstairs, he was also encouraged to spend time in the basement working with his hands. During this time, he crafted cabinets and investigated how the world fit together. Building would become a theme as well as a life-long hobby. When asked, Alex said that, perhaps, the attraction was less about strictly building something and more about the challenge to achieve a goal. And, goal oriented he was. Alex came up during the age of the computer revolution. In high school, his proximity to Columbia allowed him the opportunity to work on one of the first IBM360's at the University's Watson Labs. This early experience sparked his belief in the power of computing to bring about positive change — a principle that guided him along his educational and career paths.
In 1964, Alex received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Williams College. He credited his time at Williams with teaching him how to solve problems in new dimensions. When he entered the graduate program for Nuclear Engineering at the University of Illinois, he applied this new skill to two major challenges: how to finish his thesis with a broken reactor and how to get the attention of Anne Bowers. He was able to harness available radioactive sources to power an experiment to support his thesis, but to get Anne’s attention Alex would have to leverage something decidedly less technical - The New York Times. With the “cover story” of wanting to share Anne’s paper, Alex appealed to what he said he loved most about her, her deeply curious mind. They married in 1965 and spent 54 happy, news-filled years together, raising their son along the way.
Following his belief in the power of computing to improve our ability to harness and control power, Alex began his career working at Argonne National Laboratory where he conceived and helped develop a new generation of simulation and on-line monitoring products for use within the Nuclear Industry. In 1974, the family moved from Illinois to Menlo Park where Alex joined the Electric Power Research Institute and was responsible for computerized modelling and safety applications research and development. His work aided in the introduction of improved operator aids after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident.
In the mid 1980’s, inspired by the impact he was able to make on safety within the energy sector, Alex co-founded Expert-EASE Systems, a software company which pioneered the development of a graphic user interface to support engineering model development and analysis, a tool that was extensively used in the power and petrochemical industry for simulation of chemical, thermal hydraulic, and nuclear problems.
As our insatiable need for energy and its impact on the planet became clear, Alex again saw an opportunity for computing to help. In 1992, Alex co-founded Environmental Software Products (ESP), providing desperately needed environmental compliance software and industry-specific air emission templates for the power, gas transportation, cement and aerospace industries. Alex was particularly proud of how ESP blazed the trail of working collaboratively with customers to develop new commercial software features and products. Alex and ESP attracted a winning team. When the company was acquired in 2008, Alex was also proud that all staff were rewarded for their partnership, a very satisfying end to his professional life.
Inspired by the setting and the community, Anne and Alex purchased a second home at The Sea Ranch, California in 1989. They were attracted to the community’s commitment to ‘live lightly on the land,’ and Alex specifically, to the challenge of renovating a house within the The Sea Ranch ethos. More importantly, The Sea Ranch allowed Anne and Alex, through service to the community, to build long lasting friendships and fun traditions, such as their annual pumpkin party. Alex sat on The Sea Ranch Finance Committee as member and chairperson for five years, and then on The Sea Ranch Board of Directors as Treasurer for six. Together for their dedication, Anne and Alex were named Sea Ranchers of the Year in 2009. This year, Alex received The Sea Ranch Lifetime Service award for 30 years of community service.
One challenge of living on the northern California coast is the lack of access to quality medical care. Of all of his interests, Alex was most passionate about solving this issue and became involved with Redwood Coast Medical Systems (RCMS). He never tired of looking for ways to sustain services and expand care, therefore improving life on the northern coast for all residents. This work, along with that of his two companies and the Sea Ranch boards, did not come without tensions. But by all accounts, regardless of the setting, Alex never wavered in his strong belief in service to others, while always setting an example of strength, humility and civility.
In “retirement,” Alex and Anne also became residents of San Francisco, where they had long been patronizing the arts, most frequently seeing plays at ACT. Again, Alex sought the challenge of renovating a home while also becoming involved in San Francisco civic life. He volunteered at City Hall for District 2, helping with constituent matters and doing research on topics of interest to the staff. When MUNI began to evaluate which transportation lines to end, Alex served as “lead instigator,” gathering signatures and bringing residents to meetings with the ultimate goal to rally the community to save the #3-Jackson bus. In recognition of all of his service to the city, the Mayor and Board of Supervisors unanimously decreed July 1, 2020 to be Alex Long Day.
Alex was not one to sit still for very long and when not enmeshed in a building or volunteer project, he enjoyed traveling with family and friends. Every year there was a new destination for Thanksgiving, an opportunity to spend time with his cousins and Anne’s niece and nephew’s families. He and Anne especially enjoyed their trips to Venice, visiting churches, taking in the art and attending concerts. But, wherever he was, Alex loved to walk. He particularly enjoyed walking through the wide variety of neighborhoods of San Francisco. His goal was to walk seven miles and at least 50 flights of stairs per day, which he often met. In fact, he climbed every set of stairs in San Francisco he could find, the magnificent views being his reward. While he loved them all, he was partial to the views from Immigrants’ Point, Inspiration Point, the Legion of Honor, the National Cemetery Overlook in the Presidio, and from the Cliff House looking down along Ocean Beach. More importantly, Alex used his walks as a way of connecting with a place and his people. If you were a fortunate walking companion, you’d better also be willing to keep up the conversational pace.
In addition to Anne, Alex is survived by his son, Gregory Louis Long, Greg’s spouse Ericka Olson, Greg’s son Jack Stevenson Long, Jack’s mother Stacy Stevenson, Ericka’s daughter Noa Olson as well as a beloved extended family. The family will carry on the traditions that have left a lasting imprint, including being actively involved in The Sea Ranch and San Francisco communities, taking family trips, and trying to work out the least cringe-inducing puns possible.
The family would like to thank Alex’s Kaiser ALS and Hospice teams for their care, as well as all of the friends who have reached out in sympathy. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Long family will hold a celebration of Alex’s life at a later date. To honor Alex’s lifetime of tenacity and generosity (and in lieu of flowers and such), donations may be made to RCMS. More information can be found at https://www.rcms-healthcare.org/
Finally, to know Alex is to know that despite all of his achievements and contributions, he was notoriously modest and resisted talking about himself. He preferred instead to relish in the accomplishments of his family and friends, and listen to the stories of others so that he might learn something of who they were, what challenges they were interested in solving. Up to the very end of his life, Alex was asking after others, expressing his desire for us all to care for each other and, of course, making puns. True to his nature, Alex gave the credit to all of you whom he knew along the way. Before dying, Alex said, “Please tell everyone that I had a wonderful life and it was all because of them.”
We are very pleased to announce - on the one-year anniversary of San Francisco's Alex Long Day - our family's partnership with Walk San Francisco. Walk SF is an exceptional local non-profit dedicated to advocating for safer San Francisco streets. They are one of Alex's favorite charities.
To honor Dad, Walk SF has created a special A Long Walk through some of his favorite places here in San Francisco. A $50 charitable donation gets you a digital map of the route, turn by turn directions, and a year membership with Walk San Francisco. You can find further information on this GoFundMe page.
Our family is planning on a group hike of the route on Saturday, August 7th with refreshments for the walkers at our home in SF. Send us an email if you're interested in joining us!
_____________________________________________________
The Long Family mourns Alexander Blaikie Long who died peacefully at his San Francisco home on October 29, 2020 of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gerhig’s Disease. In his 77 years, Alex dedicated his time to solving human problems and improving the human condition. To his family, Alex was a loving and playful husband, father, and grandfather, whose memory will live on to provide an example of what it means to be diligent, to be an informed and active citizen, and to be a generous and kind soul. To his broader community, Alex’s intellectual curiosity, thoughtfulness, and quiet strength manifested in a trusted advisor and stalwart friend.
Alex was born on January 16, 1943 in New York, NY to Drs Louis Long and Lillian Matilda Dick. Because Lillian was a professor at Columbia, Alex was fortunate to grow up in a building owned by the University. This home became the breeding ground for his curiosity and drive to solve problems.While he constantly interacted with famous intellectuals upstairs, he was also encouraged to spend time in the basement working with his hands. During this time, he crafted cabinets and investigated how the world fit together. Building would become a theme as well as a life-long hobby. When asked, Alex said that, perhaps, the attraction was less about strictly building something and more about the challenge to achieve a goal. And, goal oriented he was. Alex came up during the age of the computer revolution. In high school, his proximity to Columbia allowed him the opportunity to work on one of the first IBM360's at the University's Watson Labs. This early experience sparked his belief in the power of computing to bring about positive change — a principle that guided him along his educational and career paths.
In 1964, Alex received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Williams College. He credited his time at Williams with teaching him how to solve problems in new dimensions. When he entered the graduate program for Nuclear Engineering at the University of Illinois, he applied this new skill to two major challenges: how to finish his thesis with a broken reactor and how to get the attention of Anne Bowers. He was able to harness available radioactive sources to power an experiment to support his thesis, but to get Anne’s attention Alex would have to leverage something decidedly less technical - The New York Times. With the “cover story” of wanting to share Anne’s paper, Alex appealed to what he said he loved most about her, her deeply curious mind. They married in 1965 and spent 54 happy, news-filled years together, raising their son along the way.
Following his belief in the power of computing to improve our ability to harness and control power, Alex began his career working at Argonne National Laboratory where he conceived and helped develop a new generation of simulation and on-line monitoring products for use within the Nuclear Industry. In 1974, the family moved from Illinois to Menlo Park where Alex joined the Electric Power Research Institute and was responsible for computerized modelling and safety applications research and development. His work aided in the introduction of improved operator aids after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident.
In the mid 1980’s, inspired by the impact he was able to make on safety within the energy sector, Alex co-founded Expert-EASE Systems, a software company which pioneered the development of a graphic user interface to support engineering model development and analysis, a tool that was extensively used in the power and petrochemical industry for simulation of chemical, thermal hydraulic, and nuclear problems.
As our insatiable need for energy and its impact on the planet became clear, Alex again saw an opportunity for computing to help. In 1992, Alex co-founded Environmental Software Products (ESP), providing desperately needed environmental compliance software and industry-specific air emission templates for the power, gas transportation, cement and aerospace industries. Alex was particularly proud of how ESP blazed the trail of working collaboratively with customers to develop new commercial software features and products. Alex and ESP attracted a winning team. When the company was acquired in 2008, Alex was also proud that all staff were rewarded for their partnership, a very satisfying end to his professional life.
Inspired by the setting and the community, Anne and Alex purchased a second home at The Sea Ranch, California in 1989. They were attracted to the community’s commitment to ‘live lightly on the land,’ and Alex specifically, to the challenge of renovating a house within the The Sea Ranch ethos. More importantly, The Sea Ranch allowed Anne and Alex, through service to the community, to build long lasting friendships and fun traditions, such as their annual pumpkin party. Alex sat on The Sea Ranch Finance Committee as member and chairperson for five years, and then on The Sea Ranch Board of Directors as Treasurer for six. Together for their dedication, Anne and Alex were named Sea Ranchers of the Year in 2009. This year, Alex received The Sea Ranch Lifetime Service award for 30 years of community service.
One challenge of living on the northern California coast is the lack of access to quality medical care. Of all of his interests, Alex was most passionate about solving this issue and became involved with Redwood Coast Medical Systems (RCMS). He never tired of looking for ways to sustain services and expand care, therefore improving life on the northern coast for all residents. This work, along with that of his two companies and the Sea Ranch boards, did not come without tensions. But by all accounts, regardless of the setting, Alex never wavered in his strong belief in service to others, while always setting an example of strength, humility and civility.
In “retirement,” Alex and Anne also became residents of San Francisco, where they had long been patronizing the arts, most frequently seeing plays at ACT. Again, Alex sought the challenge of renovating a home while also becoming involved in San Francisco civic life. He volunteered at City Hall for District 2, helping with constituent matters and doing research on topics of interest to the staff. When MUNI began to evaluate which transportation lines to end, Alex served as “lead instigator,” gathering signatures and bringing residents to meetings with the ultimate goal to rally the community to save the #3-Jackson bus. In recognition of all of his service to the city, the Mayor and Board of Supervisors unanimously decreed July 1, 2020 to be Alex Long Day.
Alex was not one to sit still for very long and when not enmeshed in a building or volunteer project, he enjoyed traveling with family and friends. Every year there was a new destination for Thanksgiving, an opportunity to spend time with his cousins and Anne’s niece and nephew’s families. He and Anne especially enjoyed their trips to Venice, visiting churches, taking in the art and attending concerts. But, wherever he was, Alex loved to walk. He particularly enjoyed walking through the wide variety of neighborhoods of San Francisco. His goal was to walk seven miles and at least 50 flights of stairs per day, which he often met. In fact, he climbed every set of stairs in San Francisco he could find, the magnificent views being his reward. While he loved them all, he was partial to the views from Immigrants’ Point, Inspiration Point, the Legion of Honor, the National Cemetery Overlook in the Presidio, and from the Cliff House looking down along Ocean Beach. More importantly, Alex used his walks as a way of connecting with a place and his people. If you were a fortunate walking companion, you’d better also be willing to keep up the conversational pace.
In addition to Anne, Alex is survived by his son, Gregory Louis Long, Greg’s spouse Ericka Olson, Greg’s son Jack Stevenson Long, Jack’s mother Stacy Stevenson, Ericka’s daughter Noa Olson as well as a beloved extended family. The family will carry on the traditions that have left a lasting imprint, including being actively involved in The Sea Ranch and San Francisco communities, taking family trips, and trying to work out the least cringe-inducing puns possible.
The family would like to thank Alex’s Kaiser ALS and Hospice teams for their care, as well as all of the friends who have reached out in sympathy. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, the Long family will hold a celebration of Alex’s life at a later date. To honor Alex’s lifetime of tenacity and generosity (and in lieu of flowers and such), donations may be made to RCMS. More information can be found at https://www.rcms-healthcare.org/
Finally, to know Alex is to know that despite all of his achievements and contributions, he was notoriously modest and resisted talking about himself. He preferred instead to relish in the accomplishments of his family and friends, and listen to the stories of others so that he might learn something of who they were, what challenges they were interested in solving. Up to the very end of his life, Alex was asking after others, expressing his desire for us all to care for each other and, of course, making puns. True to his nature, Alex gave the credit to all of you whom he knew along the way. Before dying, Alex said, “Please tell everyone that I had a wonderful life and it was all because of them.”